“When he first decided he wanted to become a professional basketball player, it seemed so far-fetched to me then, but Shaquille was always convinced it was going to happen,” wrote Lucille O’Neal about Shaq’s dreams in her book Walk Like You Have Somewhere to Go. Shaquille O’Neal, who says he was raised to never give up, remained staunch in his interests to always ‘get it done’. As Lucille found her teachings so well embedded, she was obliged to stop with her messages for Shaq during his live games. But not that it always helped him positively!

Lucille, the mother of four, spoke about one such moment on the promotional tour of her latest show “Raising Fame,” with Sonya Curry. On SWAY’s UNIVERSE, when asked if there was a special TED talk that she would have with the Los Angeles Lakers legend in case of a losing game, Lucille spilled the secret.

Shaq was not the one to hold his anger during his NBA days. To curb the intensity, Lucille adopted a little ritual: passing him some bubblegum before the game. Her second trick was to remind Shaq to “bend his knees” with a sign board during the game, knowing he struggled with the free throws. But “He told me one day he said, I don’t need that sign. I would like for you to not put it up anymore.” Lucille said. Why so?

In the YouTube video of SWAY’s UNIVERSE, Lucille said, “I would just stay out of his way because he wanted to be in a place where he wanted to concentrate. He didn’t want any help from anybody. He knew what he needed to do,” But Shaq eventually learned to accept any outcome of the game, win or lose. But that has not been easy for Shaq.

The weight of expectation was high on Shaq. As Lucille said in the video, “I would just try to tell him you know it’s just a game and he would at me and say mommy you don’t understand. He said if we lose they they put that on me and if we win they want to put that on me.” But Lucille had another three-word message for her son to get over this pressure: “Just have fun.” Interestingly, while Shaq preferred to cut off communication while being on the court, Steph Curry’s approach is diagonally opposite.

“He always wants to make eye contact with all of his family every game to this day. He will know where you’re sitting friends family anyone where cuz he he wants to connect with you and let you know he appreciates your support,” Sonya Curry said about Steph.

Lucille raised Shaq as a single mother until she met Phillip several years later. She endured quite the hardships to make ends meet. The 4X NBA champion is well aware of the struggles and the sacrifices Lucille took up. “My best friend,” Shaq calls her. “Life wasn’t always very kind to her, so she did her best to protect me.” 

Having played a crucial role behind the scenes, Lucille and Sonya wanted to bring forward more such mothers who have been the driving forces behind their famous children, yet went unnoticed. There came the thought of “Raising Fame.”

Shaq’s mother’s Raising Fame to be a learning experience for all

The idea for Raising Fame came from a podcast that Sonya and Dell Curry used to host. They quickly realized that they could take it further. “We were going into their homes and seeing emotions that were taking place during these interviews, I just felt like people were missing out. That passion wasn’t coming through the podcast alone. Fast forward, I needed someone to host the TV show with me. I’m like, ‘Lucille O’Neal,” Sonya had said in a conversation with firstwoman.com. Lucille instantly agreed to be a part of that.

Raising Fame is not just a program aimed at mothers. It is for guardians, grandparents, and siblings who help raise exceptional individuals. They are the true heroes behind the men, whom people around the world idolize and look up to. This also serves as an acknowledgment of the hardship of parenting.

“I want people that watch the show to realize that parenting first of all does not come with any instruction. But we take it very seriously because we learned and we believe that when you see the gift in your child it’s our time and we should nurture the gift,” Lucille said in a conversation with NBC about the thought behind the series.

According to sources, the parents of Kevin Durant, John Legend, Fantasia, Danielle Brooks, Chance the Rapper, Billy Porter, Usher, and Jon Batiste are all set to join them on the show. Another interesting guest duo will be Magic Johnson and Christine Johnson. In a trailer of the show, Christine was in tears as she revealed, “He said, ‘You taught me never to run from a problem’.”

With the stories, Lucille reveals the show also has learnings to offer to its spectators. “This is an opportunity for these celebrities to tell their true story, and we believe that when you see the segments and the programs, you’re going to learn something,” she says.

Love, laughter, and emotional bits, all have made it to the teaser thus far. Few more days on the clock and Lucille and Sonya await to let the figures behind the camera shine through. The show is set to premiere on the 7th of July on TV One at 10 p.m. ET.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud, Caitlin Clark’s Olympic snub, and more, watch this video.