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When Shaquille O'Neal Revealed the Reason Behind his Fearless Dunking; Find Out
Shaquille O'Neal is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, known for his dominance on the court. Want to know how he achieved such greatness? Let's dive in!
Since Shaquille O'Neal's career is known for his strong, backboard-smashing two-handed dunks, most people assume that "Diesel" would have worked to hone this skill from the start. However, Phillip Harrison, the 7'1" center's stepfather, made sure the player realized early in his career that he was a dominant center rather than a skillful midfield scorer like Magic Johnson.
Harrison also had young Shaq observe Rony Seikaly's aggressive dunking style, which ultimately led to the creation of his recognizable "Dunkman" logo. As if that weren't enough, Harrison's guidance played a crucial role in shaping O'Neal's iconic playing style.
Shaq’s stepdad made him a better player
The three-time Finals MVP discussed a crucial period in his high school career on the All The Smoke podcast. When Shaq attempted to finger roll the ball into the hoop during a game instead of dunking it and ultimately missed, his stepfather became enraged to the point where he stormed onto the court from the stands and scolded O'Neal.
Harrison also strongly reminded the young center to stick to his strengths and not try to copy the moves of other players.
What did O’Neal say?
O’Neal said, "I’m not doing no skyhooks, I like this Magic (stuff) I start working on my handles. When I first started dunking, I never wanted to dunk, so junior year… I'm killing the little dudes I'm playing against. I finger roll it, I miss. My father comes out with his fatigues - 'Timeout!' He takes me outside, 'See young man, f**k you doin’? Ain’t no Magic. Be Shaquille O’Neal.'"
Seikaly was the inspiration "The Big Aristotle" needed, despite having a less-than-spectacular NBA career. In his 11-year tenure, he only won one award, the Most Improved Player award, while averaging 14.7 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. The 6'11" center gave Shaq a demonstration of his potential impact by extending his legs during the dunking motion.
He added, "Then I would go home, and he's (Phillip) making me watch college games, and I'm watching Syracuse play. Sherman Douglas throws it to Rony Seikaly, and he dunks it, but he’s getting his legs up. I said 'Ok.’ So, the next game, my father was there, and I'm dunking and getting my legs up."
Shaq's famous image of his legs spread wide apart and hanging from the rim eventually evolved into the "Dunkman" brand's emblem. It's safe to say that Rony had no idea that his skill and ability as a college dunker would lead to the creation of the most iconic dunk in basketball history.
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