“One Barbie With No Arm”: Daughter Broke Down in Tears After Father Shaquille O’Neal’s Tough Lesson

Shaquille O’Neal goes by many names. A legend, the most dominant, entrepreneur, and businessman are only a handful of his roles. Yet there is one that remains eternal – him being a father. Having six kids, The Big Diesel has raised them with invaluable virtues and a humbling lifestyle. Yes, he has earned over $400 million. But despite his successes, he keeps his children at arm’s length. Nothing is given in the ‘Neal household, it has to be earned.

He began teaching them young. During a recent podcast appearance, Shaq shared a story from his daughter’s childhood, and how one toy opened her eyes to the power of kindness.

Shaquille O’Neal taught his daughter through experiences

Shaq was always a giant ad full of life, even as a child. However, growing up he wasn’t as fortunate as he is today. The four-time champion was under the tutelage of an army sergeant. His father taught him to live a life of principles and discipline. While pushing him to his boundaries to excel as basketball’s bully, he also left Shaq with some vital lessons. One of which was to always help others if he could.

Those morals never left Shaq. He has repeatedly devoted his time to bringing a smile to people’s faces. Doing just one deed at a time, he has helped millions in unfathomable ways. Similarly, he wanted to pass on the code to his offspring.

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He implemented the lesson when he was playing for the Phoenix Suns. He drew out a simple deal with his daughter, in exchange for five new toys, she will have to sacrifice an equal amount from her already existing collection. Shaq would take those toys to the Salvation Army. One time, his daughter wasn’t entirely sure about putting a one-hand Barbie doll in the box. But due to her father rushing her, she chucked it in the box anyway.

Shaquille O’Neal always took his kids along on these experiences. Rather than speaking the principles, he wanted to show them the impact through action. The handicapped Barbie reached a girl. Her face turned lively with delight. But Shaq’s daughter misunderstood the emotion and felt she was in trouble. After reassuring his daughter she did the right thing, he introduced her to the lesson.

“This girl gets this Barbie with one arm and she’s just loving it. It made Mimi start crying. ‘Daddy sorry I didn’t mean to put the one Barbie in’. I was like ‘No it’s all good’. She thought she was in trouble. I said no see, the reason why I make y’all get rid of toys rather than just have them sitting not doing anything is people need these toys. People love them and cherish these toys,” said Shaq while on the MoTalk podcast.

Since then, Shaq has instilled more ground rules for his children. The most well-known is probably his degree stipulation for the children to touch his hard-earned money.

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It’s through these philanthropic actions and generous mindset that Shaquille O’Neal has grown into one of the most loving figures in all of sports. A true giver and caretaker, Shaq’s benevolence is boundless.