Shaquille O'Neal Hired His Father To Work For Him For $500,000 Per Year After Learning He Made Just $60,000 In The Army

Shaquille O'Neal once paid his father $500,000 per year to work for him after finding out that he made $60,000 in the army.

Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Shaquille O'Neal has his flaws, just like all of us, but there is no doubt that the big man has a big heart. O'Neal earned nearly $300 million in salaries during his time in the NBA and has always tried to help those who are less privileged than he is.

Whether it be helping a woman buy laptops for her children or gifting 1000 Nintendo Switches and PS5s to underprivileged kids on Christmas, O'Neal is always ready to help out. He, of course, takes great care of his own family as well and once revealed a touching story about hiring his own parents to work for him.

“How much you make in the army? Only make $60,000? Now you making half a million a year. He started crying. Mama, how much you wanna make? You now make $750,000 a year, put them on like a real (payroll), and also had to teach them the business.”

That was a great gesture, and the last part about teaching them how to run the business is key. It is not just about giving them a job and leaving them be, but also ensuring they can do it properly. Shaq also knows that he owes his stepfather Phillip Harrison a lot for the man he is today, as his biological father wasn't a part of his life. While Harrison instilled a lot of good values in Shaq, the big man still tends to go a bit overboard at times.

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Shaquille O'Neal Made A Bold Claim About His Team Sweeping Michael Jordan's Team

To go with his big heart, O'Neal also has a big ego when it comes to basketball, and he is never short on confidence. He made quite a bold claim recently, stating that a team of him, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James would sweep a team of Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Larry Bird in a 3-on-3 game.

While some might find this to be outlandish, O'Neal seriously believes they would do it, and to a certain point, you need that kind of confidence to succeed at the highest level. Too bad we won't ever get to see this matchup, though, as it would be truly special.

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