“I Used His Money”: Wasting Millionaire Son’s Wealth on Her Addiction, Shaquille O’Neal’s Mother Breaks Down Over Past Regrets

Over the years, NBA legend and former Los Angeles Lakers center Shaquille O’Neal has amassed a fortune by not only playing in the league but also by virtue of his various brand endorsements and other business ventures. The Big Diesel currently has a net worth of around $400 million, which, in fact, keeps rising by the year. The five-time champion’s mother, Lucille O’Neal, recently shared that she regretted a certain habit of hers which made her squander a significant portion of her son’s wealth. She also revealed how she overcame it.

The Big Diesel’s mother sacrificed her education and completed it later to take care of her family. However, she also has some regrets about another misfortune from her past.

Lucille O’Neal was the main speaker at the 14th annual Odyssey Awards luncheon of the Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy. While speaking about her struggles, she mentioned how even after all that her mother imparted to her, she “got caught up looking for love in all the wrong places.”

Further in her talk, Lucille revealed the addiction with which she struggled previously while her son was drafted to play in the NBA. She recounted, “I was not in a good place. And I used his money to buy the best liquor that we could buy. I was drinking liquor that I couldn’t even pronounce.”

However, she further added that her faith helped her overcome her alcohol addiction. Lucille shared, “It came to me that I needed to be doing something else. In my mind, I could hear, ‘Walk like you have somewhere to go.’ I heard it clearly.”

Clearly, Lucille realized how by believing in oneself one could face any challenge. She also emphasized this to her superstar son.

Shaq began to pocket millions soon after getting drafted into the league as he quickly started getting all kinds of endorsements and deals. But his mother remained unimpressed with his earnings as she wanted him back in school.

While appearing as a keynote speaker at last year’s luncheon held by St Philip’s Annual Destiny Awards, the four-time champion said, “I would bring home a lot of money and all that, but I would look on my favorite person’s face, and she would put her hand on my shoulder and say, ‘Baby, you promised to go back to school’. And I’m like, ‘I’m shooting a movie called Kazaam.’”

His mother’s reply to him: “I saw that movie. You need to take your a*s back to school.”

Well, Dr. Shaquille O’Neal eventually did go back to school and finished his education after his mother insisted. Lucille O’Neal is surely a proud mother as well as, evidently, a content human being.