Vertically challenged can’t relate to the O’Neals. Shaquille O’Neal has never been secretive about how growing up larger than his peers made his and his family’s lives difficult. Apart from literally standing out from his peers, his parents had a hard time finding him shoes and clothes to fit a 6’10” teenager, compounded by their financial restraints. However, his kids didn’t have the economic drawbacks of standing literally tall. For his daughters especially, their mother revealed in her memoir, the height troubles were more social.

Shaunie Henderson states the obvious in her book, Undefeated. “My kids were always taller than everyone else’s kids. That makes sense, right? Look who their dad is.” Shaunie’s self-defined O’Neal DNA works in magical ways.

Even Myles, Shaunie’s son from another relationship and Shaq’s adoptive son, is 6’3″. Shareef is 6’10” and Shaqir is 6’8″ with the potential to grow further. While the eldest daughter, 5’5″ Taahirah (from Shaq’s relationship with Arnetta Yardbourgh), missed both the basketball and height genes, her younger sisters had a different life. Amirah is 6’2″ and Me’Arah is 6’4″.

For the O’Neal boys, standing tall was cool. The girls had it differently. Shaunie revealed that their kids had their growth spurts in elementary school, and were taller than their class. So unlike their brothers, “Mimi and Me’Arah hated it.”

Amirah had it the hardest. The boys in her class taunted her for being taller than them and she was unwilling to go to school because of something she had no control over. Shaunie had to step in and reinforce her confidence at all times. She told her that the boys were jealous and she could beat them in any sport of her choice. By the sixth grade, she was better at holding herself high.

Shaunie had to do the same for Meezy. She was introverted but more athletically inclined. It didn’t take much effort to remind her she had boundless athleticism. But Meezy also looks up to her siblings and learns from their lessons. That’s why she’s Shaunie’s most ‘mature’ kid. She’s heading to Florida now and hopefully would have a different experience to Mimi.

Shaquille O’Neal’s older daughter overcame a lot

It wasn’t just Shaq’s height genes that affected Mimi. When she went to LSU, it was his fame too. At her father’s alma mater, Amirah’s confidence took a harder beating. With limited playtime in games, she was subjected to harsh commentary about her talent. She was badgered with comments like she’s only in LSU because of her dad. By the time the pandemic hit, Mimi was isolated from her team and worked out alone.

Shaunie had no idea about her mental state until Mimi refused to return to LSU. They had to rebuild her confidence and she’d transfer to Texas Southern University, closer to her mother.

Mimi has since turned her mental health struggles into a platform for student-athletes to have an outlet. And her social media is testimony she’s a lot more confident in herself.

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.