"Beat his A** in School Bathroom": Shaquille O'Neal's Stepfather Phillip Harrison Confessed Disciplining 13

Sep 09, 2023

Nithin Joseph|Published June 06, 2023

May 22, 2022; Dallas, Texas, USA; Former NBA player and sports analyst Shaquille O’Neal enters the arena before game three of the 2022 western conference finals between the Dallas Mavericks and the Golden State Warriors at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Shaquille O’Neal had quite a tough childhood. Growing up, things weren't exactly easy for him. While he wasn't exactly a gem of a human being, the discipline he received was quite harsh. This often involved quite a few beatings from his stepfather Phillip Harrison, who view it as a form of discipline.

It was difficult, but Sarge believed what he was doing was right. After all, it was how he was disciplined when he was young. In fact, he once confessed in a letter featured in Shaq's book Shaq Talks Back, that the last time he beat up his stepson was in a school bathroom. Back when Big Diesel was thirteen years old.

In all accounts, Shaquille O’Neal was quite the handful in his youth. He was extremely indisciplined and often prone to getting into trouble. This put him on the wrong side of things with his stepfather, Sgt. Phillip Harrison.

An army man, the Sarge was a strict disciplinarian. One who preferred actions over words. And, when it came to Shaq that was almost always the case. The Big Aristotle has shared many tales of how his father would discipline him with severe beatings.

It was the only thing he knew to do. And, in a letter from Shaq's book, he details the same. Harrison had grown up knowing the short end of the stick, and as such, felt it was the right way to keep O’Neal in line. He confessed that it was the best way he could deal with the future Hall of Famer, and revealed that the last time he beat Shaq, was in a school bathroom back when he was just 13 years old.

"As he got older, he got into more trouble and I tried my best to deal with it the best way I knew how. I’m not going to sugarcoat it. Sometimes I had to beat his ass to keep him in line. That's what I was taught, and that's what I taught him. The last time I hit him, he was about thirteen years old. He had gotten into some trouble at school, and it was after a parent-teacher conference. I beat his ass in the school bathroom."

It certainly was a tough time for Shaq. But, things changed as he grew older. In fact, once he made it to the NBA, his father spent a lot more time defending him rather than beating him up.

Contrary to how he treated his son in his childhood, Phillip Harrison was rather defensive of Shaquille O’Neal once he made it to the NBA. In fact, on one occasion, the Sarge even fought Phil Jackson. Harrison was upset that Jackson was allowing Shaq to get beat up in the paint by then-Spurs center Felton Spencer.

After the game, Harrison was livid and approached Jackson with ferocity in his eyes. Luckily, things didn't go beyond that as Jackson handled the situation maturely.

It's safe to say that despite everything, Shaq shared a special bond with his father and cared for him deeply. Always grateful for everything he did for him.

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About the author

Nithin Joseph

Sports has been a huge part of Nithin's life ever since he was 10 years old. He is currently pursuing his MBA in Sports Management and as such has attempted to immerse himself in a variety of professional sports and sports leagues like the Premier League, NBA, and NFL. Having previously worked as a WWE content writer, Nithin now writes about the NBA, being a supporter of the Miami Heat and basketball as a sport.

Shaquille O’Neal Phillip Harrison Shaq Talks Back

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