Born on March 6, 1972, in Newark, New Jersey, Shaquille Rashoun O’Neal is frequently referred to simply as “Shaq”. His biological father, Joseph Toney, gave him the name, which is Persian in origin. His mother, Lucille O’Neal Harrison, married Army Sergeant Philip Harrison and it is this man whom Shaquille considers his true father figure. He spent some of his childhood in Germany where his step father was stationed in the US Army and it was there that he learned the sport that would carry him to international fame and renown. As a boy, O’Neal fractured his wrists while climbing … Continue reading →