Shaquille O'Neal Reveals He Was Physically Abused in Tell-All Book

As if the week in sports wasn’t already depressing enough, now word has come out that retired NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal was physically abused by his father growing up.

In Shaq’s book titled Shaq Uncut (scheduled for release on Nov. 15) he goes into detail about how his dad would put a severe beating on a young O’Neal, usually with a belt. Jackie MacMullan, the long-time NBA author that wrote the book alongside O’Neal, talked about some of the details on Fox Sports columnist Jason Whitlock’s podcast:

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We're not talking about spanking, we're talking about a belt. Beating him badly. Something that disturbed his mother greatly. Of course, Shaq's mom and his dad aren't together any more. I think that's in part why. Sarge was a military guy, that's how his father raised him, and that's how he was going to raise his son. I don't think he thinks there's anything wrong with it still. Shaq understands it, his dad was "trying to help" him. He believed his dad had the best intentions, so Shaq gives him a pass on it. As a reader, you can't help but go, "Wow, this is tough, this is over the top."

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The elder O’Neal was a staff sergeant in the United States Army and believed that physically harming his son was the best way to discipline him.

Shaq agrees: "He never hit me without cause, if it weren't for him I'd be in prison right now because I was a wise guy, and I did the wrong things, and I was caught up with the wrong kids."

It’s a sad story that goes to show you how much power a father has over his son. Shaq will go to his grave thinking his dad did the right thing.

However, he certainly won’t be replicating those actions with his kids. "I understand why he did it. I love him," O'Neal said. "I would never do it to my own kids."