Shaquille O’Neal changes his father’s life forever to repay everything he did for him

Long before Shaquille O’Neal became an NBA superstar, Phillip Harrison was simply Dad . The Army sergeant was technically Shaq’s stepfather, but he raised him from early childhood, provided discipline when money was tight and moved the family wherever his military career took them. Decades later, when Shaq finally started making serious money, one of his first priorities was making sure Harrison would never have to worry about his own paycheck again.

From an Army salary to a life-changing paycheck

After entering the NBA, O’Neal created Shaq, Inc. and gave his parents actual jobs running his fan club, complete with a workspace and responsibilities. According to Shaq's own account, Harrison initially resisted because he wanted to continue working on an Army base. Then Shaq asked him a simple question: how much was he earning? The answer was about $60,000 a year.

Shaq's response changed the conversation immediately. He told Harrison he would now make $500,000 a year working for him. O'Neal recalled that his father started crying. He then turned to his mother, Lucille, and put her on an even larger salary: $750,000 a year.

Shaq never forgot who was there before the millions

The gesture carried considerably more meaning than simply giving his parents money. Harrison had raised Shaq while serving in the Army, moving the family through places including New Jersey, Georgia and Germany. O'Neal has repeatedly credited his father's strict upbringing with helping turn a troublesome kid into the disciplined player who eventually became one of basketball's biggest stars. Harrison died in 2013.

And Shaq's financial support wasn't limited to salaries. By the mid-1990s, reports were already documenting that he had bought his mother a house and regularly offered to buy her new cars. For a player who would ultimately earn roughly $292 million in NBA salary alone , taking care of the people who supported him before the fame became part of how he used that success.

There was also a smart business move behind the gift

Shaq wasn't simply handing his parents enormous checks. Because they performed legitimate work for his company, their compensation could be treated as a business expense subject to applicable tax rules. The IRS permits businesses to employ family members, although wages still need to correspond to genuine work and the appropriate payroll and tax requirements apply.

For Shaq, however, the emotional part of the story is simpler. The man who raised him on an Army salary eventually worked for the son he helped raise for $500,000 a year. Harrison had spent Shaq's childhood trying to change the direction of his son's life. Once Shaq had the means, he returned the favor.