'I’ve lost a family trying to be great': Shaq says he torpedoed his personal life for his $286-million NBA career

O’Neal has a wealth of knowledge that he could share with his son, Shareef, who was once an aspiring NBA player. On a recent episode of Power Moves with Shaquille O’Neal, a Netflix show that documents his effort to ”revive Reebok’s legacy and find a rising star to rep the brand,” O’Neal shared a poignant message about his pursuit of success and how striving for greatness had cost him dearly.

“You gotta understand that in that [NBA] life, you know you have to give everything up?” O’Neal told Shareef. “If you want to be great, my man, you gotta sacrifice everything. I’ve lost a family trying to be great.”

‘I messed it up’

On top of all the awards and accolades, O’Neal earned more than $286 million during his NBA career, and he says he gave up a lot just to be able to earn that kind of cash.

In 2002, O’Neal married Shaunie Nelson, and the two had four children together: sons Shareef and Shaqir, as well as daughters Me’arah and Amirah. O’Neal also raised Shaunie’s son from a previous relationship, Myles, as his stepson, and he shares a daughter, Taahirah, with his former girlfriend, Arnetta Yardbourgh.

However, O’Neal and Nelson separated in 2009 and finalized their divorce two years later in 2011. When the two got married, O’Neal was at the peak of his career and had just won three straight NBA Championships with the Lakers.

“I was lost,” O’Neal once shared with the New York Post. “76,000-square-foot house by yourself, lost. No kids, go to the gym, nobody playing in the gym. We go to their room, nobody’s there. You start to feel it.”

“I had two perfect women and I messed it up,” he added.

Following the divorce, O’Neal told rapper T.I. on the latter’s expediTIously podcast that his children didn’t speak with him for a long time, though things seem to be better now that O’Neal is retired.

“In all of that, I’m just happy and blessed that they’ve forgiven me. Because me and my babies didn’t talk for a while,” said O’Neal, according to Complex. “I understood that, but now we’re starting to get closer. I’m teaching my boys to be better than me.”

How Shareef’s NBA dreams were dashed

Shareef played high school basketball at the Crossroads School in Santa Monica, California, where he graduated as a four-star college recruit in 2018. He later decided to join the NCAA and play for the UCLA Bruins, who were excited about his addition to the team.

“Shareef has made great strides throughout his high school career,” former head coach Steve Alford told CBS Sports. “He’s an outstanding addition to our incoming class and brings a terrific combination of size, skill and athleticism.”

However, tragedy struck Shareef just before his freshman season, when he was diagnosed with a heart condition that required open-heart surgery. He made a full recovery and was able to continue his college basketball career with hopes of playing in the NBA.

Following his lone season at LSU, Shareef entered the 2022 NBA Draft, though his father didn’t exactly approve of this decision.