Shaunie Henderson had the huge responsibility of raising five kids with NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal. The work is always more for a mother, and in the case of Shaq, who was busy playing in the NBA, there is no doubt about it. Shaunie is known for her kind heart and supporting traits, and as a mother, she has implemented them. However, when things get out of hand, the 49-year-old will not hesitate to become a strict parent, even if she needs to break her son’s teeth.

Shaunie shared in her book, ‘Undefeated: Changing the Rules and Winning on My Own Terms‘ that it was difficult to get Myles O’Neal to follow her words when he was fourteen. She wrote, “I couldn’t even reprimand my son at the time because he wasn’t following my words.“ She further shared that she once caught Myles smoking up with his friend.

“It was sort of funny because the two of them were talking about the random stuff you talk about when you’re high. But I didn’t laugh because I was furious with my son,“ Shaunie revealed in the book. The mother of five was rather interested in taking things under her control. 

After Myles’s friend left, Shaunie questioned her young son on his decision to smoke up, to which she got an unexpected response. “My son decided this was the right time to give me a speech about how smoking m*rijuana helps you focus.” The parents of Myles’s friend seemingly allowed their kids to “smoke w**d” to treat ADHD, and thus he wanted the same from Shaunie. 

However, Shaunie had a different response. “Well, honey, here’s the thing. There’s a huge difference between Johnny’s dad and mom and me. Johnny also tells his parents to f*ck off, and if you ever said that to me, you would be going to school without your front teeth,“ Shaunie told Myles, and there was no trouble from the teenager thereafter. Shaq also had trouble with ADHD, but the Los Angeles Lakers icon had other ways to cope with it. 

How did Shaq use a smart way to cope with ADHD? 

Just like many youngsters, Shaq had Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. People are usually diagnosed with it at a very young age and it lasts till adulthood. While many prefer using m*rijuana after being prescribed by doctors, Shaq had a different way of overcoming the trouble of ADHD. 

“Well, first of all, I have to have my cheat sheet. Like if too much is going on, I can’t concentrate. I have super ADHD,” said the 4x champion in an interview with late-night host Stephen Colbert, two years ago. To cope with it, he smartly started to exercise whenever he got restless.

This is also a message to the youngsters of the current generation. Shaq used a healthy way to reduce the struggles of ADHD. It helped me become a fit basketball player, and of course, a dominant center. It’s all about choosing the right path. 

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: