Shaquille O’Neal revisits his San Antonio beginnings

“Shaquille O’Neal Returns to His Roots in San Antonio – A Journey Back to Where It All Began”

In the towering shadow of the Alamodome, just off I-750, a gentle breeze stirred as a familiar giant walked down memory lane. Shaquille O’Neal—NBA Hall of Famer, businessman, philanthropist, and global icon—was back in San Antonio. But this wasn’t just another media appearance. This was a full-circle moment. This was home.

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The story began over 35 years ago when a young Shaq, then just a tall, quiet teen with dreams too big for any gym to contain, roamed the streets of Fort Sam Houston and the hallways of Cole High School. Back then, he was just “that tall kid” with a quick smile and big heart—years before he became the larger-than-life figure with his own plane, global business ventures, and a legacy written in slam dunks and million-dollar deals.

“It’s Good to Come Back Home”

Shaq stood in front of the camera, smiling at the recreation of his very first TV appearance—captured right there on News 4 San Antonio decades ago. “It’s good to come back home,” he said warmly, his voice resonating with nostalgia.

He spoke of San Antonio not just as a city, but as his own personal North Pole—a reference to his favorite movie, Superman II, where Superman returns to the Fortress of Solitude to regain his powers. “Every time I’m in San Antonio, I get my power back,” he said with a chuckle. “I go to my theater downtown, Taco Cabana on Perrin Beitel, I ride up and down 410, South Side, East Side… just reminiscing about the things I used to do.”

The Dream That Sparked It All

As he strolled through Fort Sam, the base where he once lived, Shaq was reminded of the first time he ever dared to dream big. In a now-iconic clip, a teenage Shaq once declared, “After I get my degree in college, I want to make about $6.2 million a year.” That line, once charmingly naive, now feels prophetic.

Laughing at the memory, he joked, “$6.2 million is probably what I spend on dry cleaning now.” But the truth is, the dream was simple—he never wanted to be rich for riches’ sake. “I just wanted to make $800,000 a year for ten years, get a house in the Dominican, a Mercedes, and a Jimmy Blazer. That was my dream.”

But dreams have a funny way of growing.

A Father’s Lessons, A Businessman’s Legacy

Shaq credits his late stepfather, Sergeant Phillip Harrison, for shaping his worldview. “My father did a great job of telling me how great I was not,” he said with a bittersweet grin. “He showed me horror stories of athletes who made it big but lost it all. Every day. Until it stuck.”

That daily discipline led Shaq to one goal: never end up broke. “67% of all professional athletes are broke five years after they stop playing,” he said. “I didn’t want to be one of them.”

Even while acting in movies and releasing rap albums, his father held him accountable. “He always reminded me, ‘You promised me you’d get your degree.’ So I focused on business.” That mindset became the foundation for Shaquille O’Neal, Inc.—an empire built not just on athletic greatness, but authentic branding and wise investments.

“People ask me how I get all these commercials. I say it’s because I’m authentic. I don’t sell what I don’t believe in. You’ve known me since ’89—silly, funny, aggressive on the court, and with a big heart. That’s always been me.”

The Real Reason He Wanted Wealth

In one of the most touching moments of the trip, Shaq shared the story of a drive with his mother through Alamo Heights, a wealthy San Antonio neighborhood. “We were heading to an AAU game. I looked over and saw her stare at a house. It wasn’t even a big house. Just a beautiful one. I saw her look… and that look broke my heart.”

From that moment, his mission was clear: buy his mother a house.

“We didn’t grow up in houses. We lived in apartments, on Army bases. The first house I ever lived in was here in San Antonio. So when people say I do business for the money, I tell them no—it’s about opportunity. It’s about setting an example.”

Shaq-A-Claus and the Spirit of Giving

Few people know just how much Shaq gives back. His Shaq-A-Claus program has donated Christmas gifts to thousands of children annually. But even this, he insists, isn’t about publicity. It’s about honoring his parents.

“My father used to take his old Army fatigues and donate them to the Salvation Army. The men there looked at those uniforms like they were Gucci or Louis Vuitton. That always stayed with me. He told me, ‘If you make it big, help those in need.’”

Today, Shaq says the greatest compliment he can receive isn’t a financial one. “Getting a text from my mom that says, ‘Good job, baby,’—that’s everything to me. If she hears I was in town talking to Don Harris, and she says thank you because he was good to us? That’s what matters.”

How Shaq Wants to Be Remembered

Fame, wealth, trophies—Shaq has them all. But his answer to how he wants to be remembered isn’t wrapped in stats or accolades.

“I just want people to say, ‘He’s a nice guy.’ Was he nice to kids when he came back? Or did he act too big-time? Did he make time for the people who mattered, or did he hide behind his assistants?”

In one of the most poignant full-circle moments of the interview, Shaq refused to speak with anyone but Don Harris—the same reporter who gave him his first shot. “That’s what I want to be remembered for. Being a nice guy.”

Legacy Rooted in Humility

As Shaquille O’Neal walked the halls of Cole High once more, visited the same spots he used to hang out as a teen, and revisited the dreams that lit his path, it became clear—this wasn’t just a nostalgic return. It was a reminder.

That behind the global icon is still the same kid from San Antonio. The same son who wanted to buy his mom a house. The same student who made a promise to finish school. The same boy who once said, “I just want to make $6.2 million a year.”

And maybe most importantly—the same gentle giant who never forgot where he came from, and who believes that being kind, authentic, and giving back is the truest sign of greatness.

Because to Shaq, being remembered as a “nice guy” is the biggest slam dunk of all.

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