Discover Taahirah, Myles, Shareef, Shaqir, Amirah, and Me’arah, the NBA legend’s six children.
NBA great Shaquille O’Neal is the father of six children.
O’Neal and his ex-wife Shaunie O’Neal have four children: sons Shareef and Shaqir, as well as daughters Amirah and Me’arah. The sportsman also has a stepson, Myles, from Shaunie’s prior relationship, as well as a daughter, Taahirah, from his previous relationship with Arnetta Yardbourgh.
Despite both breakups, O’Neal maintains good relationships with his ex-wives and continues to co-parent his children with them.
“I have two wonderful women who have given me beautiful, gorgeous children, and I have to protect, provide, and love for them forever,” the sportsman remarked on an episode of The Pivot Podcast.
Speaking of supplying, Shaq said that he enjoys spoiling his children for Christmas, referring to himself as “Shaq-a-Claus” during an interview with Mila Kunis on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in October 2017. When asked what he gets his kids for the holidays, Kunis said, “Everything they want.com.”
While the sportsman is generous with gifts, he wants his children to demonstrate their abilities before assisting them in their careers. In an interview with PEOPLE in November 2022, O’Neal stated that he would assist his children with business projects but that he wants them to prove themselves via hard work. He emphasized wants to see a “resume” and “business plan” as well as “numbers” to back up their proposal. “I don’t care who you are, because if done correctly, I believe in nepotism.”
When he finds himself “checking into the old folks home,” the NBA veteran hopes his children will be “running what I started” and contributing to the “generational wealth” he’s accumulated throughout his career.
O’Neal lauded his children’s mothers in October 2022, calling them “the strongest beings on this planet” during an interview on the podcast 2 Lies and 1 Truth. “Their mothers did an excellent job of organizing activities.” “You know, you women deserve a lot more credit and respect because you guys do all the work,” he remarked.
O’Neal also stated that he will never refer to the women as “baby mamas” again. “That’s why I don’t want to insult them by calling them baby mamas.” “They’re two beautiful Black women who did an outstanding job,” he added.
The sportsman was asked about his best and worst memories with his children during the same interview. “The best moment is just coming home every day and hearing five, six different voices,” said O’Neal. “The worst moment was when they were separated and they weren’t there every day.” That was most likely my worst moment.”
Continue reading for a breakdown of O’Neal’s six-person family.
27-year-old Taahirah O’Neal
In 1996, O’Neal and ex-girlfriend Yardbourgh brought their daughter Taahirah into the world. According to TNT’s Shaq Life, she graduated magna cum laude from Oglethorpe University in 2019. According to her LinkedIn, she is currently a communications associate analyst for PepsiCo and a part-time social media assistant at her father’s entertainment company Mine O Mine.
26-year-old Myles O’Neal
Myles was born in 1997 to Shaunie and later adopted O’Neal’s surname. Myles is no stranger to the entertainment industry, having appeared on television and walked the runway since he was a child.
23-year-old Shareef O’Neal
Shareef is a rising basketball star, but he wasn’t always this way.
Shareef found he had a congenital cardiac abnormality at the age of 18, just weeks before the start of his freshman year at the University of California, Los Angeles. His diagnosis necessitated open-heart surgery.
“It was difficult. At the time, I was ranked first in California. “When they told me, I honestly thought I’d never be able to play basketball again,” he stated on the Now For Later podcast.
Shareef recovered from his operation and went on to play for UCLA and Louisiana State University. He eventually dropped out of college to pursue a professional job.
21-year-old Amirah O’Neal
Amirah is also a college basketball player for Texas Southern University. She had previously been a walk-on at her father’s alma college, LSU.
20-year-old Shaqir O’Neal
Shaqir is also a sports enthusiast. According to ESPN, the TSU forward stated in an interview with Overtime that he committed to the institution in order to “change the narrative” on historically Black colleges and universities.
17-year-old Me’arah O’Neal
Me’arah O’Neal, the youngest O’Neal child, attends Episcopal High School and just bid goodbye to her after-school basketball club, CyFair Elite Sports.
Me’arah posted images of herself on the court on Instagram to commemorate the conclusion of her stint with her Cyfair squad in July 2023. “It’s officially over… “Really bittersweet man, I’m going to miss it,” she wrote in the post. “Words cannot express how thankful I am… Cyfair, I adore you, and I thank you… #13 out.”
