Shaquille O’Neal Tested Mom Lucille’s Patience Who Ditched Her Rules Over Kobe Bryant Feud

It’s no secret that Shaquille O’Neal has a way of grabbing attention wherever he goes. But if there’s one person who can pull Shaq back in line, it’s his mother, Lucille O’Neal. The 70-year-old’s no-nonsense approach remains the anchor in Shaq’s life. In the early 2000s, as the feud between Shaq and his LA Lakers teammate Kobe Bryant brewed, Lucille didn’t hesitate to intervene when her son started straying from the values she instilled.

Lucille O’Neal joined Brandi Harvey on the Vault Empowers Talks podcast and shared insights into her unique way of parenting. When asked if she ever had to discipline Shaq after he found fame, Lucille admitted, “You know what? I never had to knock him down.” Instead, she reminded him to stay authentic, saying, “Just keep it real because you don’t have to be anybody else.” Her calm yet firm approach showed her belief in letting her son find his way while still holding him accountable.

But, of course, even Shaq isn’t immune to the occasional “that’s enough” from his mom. Lucille opened up about stepping in during Shaq’s heated feud with Kobe. “He and Kobe were not getting along,” she recalled. “I told him, ‘stop going through all of that on television. You know, y’all got to learn how to get along.’ And it helped their relationship when I said it’s time to let that go.”

The Kobe-Shaq feud that stemmed right from Kobe’s entry into the Lakers, would involve some ugly turns. They were moments of camaraderie, no doubt, but there were also media highlights that would lead Kobe to reportedly say, ‘that if Shaq starts a media war again, he won’t hesitate to fire back’. In the following year, they would semi-reconcile and Shaq would ultimately put it to bed as he retired. Looks like Lucille had some intervention in the mid-2000s when the tensions peaked.

Interestingly, Lucille rarely had to discipline her son in the traditional sense. “He’s a good man,” she said on the podcast, adding that Shaq’s respect for her shaped many of his choices. For instance, Shaq once vowed never to drink in public. “I can’t do nothing to jeopardize my mother’s empire,” Shaq said.

For Shaq, keeping his mother’s values intact has always been non-negotiable. And while Lucille often let Shaq navigate his own path, she made sure to guide him with advice that helped him embrace life’s challenges without losing sight of who he is.

Lucille O’Neal kept Shaq grounded

It’s difficult being one of the biggest names in sports, but Shaquille O’Neal had someone in his corner who didn’t let him get carried away—his mom. Reflecting on his rise to fame, Shaq admitted to People, “I don’t want to be the guy. I did it one time, and my mother was pissed. She used words I haven’t heard her use in a long time.”

Interestingly, Lucille once went as far as showing Shaq video clips of himself acting out in public, just to drive her point home. “She said, ‘That’s not necessary, baby. You don’t need to do all that stuff,’” Shaq recalled. Her message hit hard, and it’s safe to say it stuck.

Despite amassing a net worth of over $400 million, Shaq remains one of the most humble stars around, giving back to the community every chance he gets. That humility? It all comes back to Lucille, who taught her son to value character over cash and wisdom. And Shaq also credits his mother for being his guiding light through fame and fortune.