"Just do something else" - Shaquille O'Neal on why he doesn't want his 7 children to play basketball

NBA star Shaquille O'Neal is speaking out about urging his children to follow a different career path. The 3 time NBA All-Star MVP does not want his children to pursue basketball as a career.

While speaking to Today, O’Neal emphasized that playing basketball in the NBA entails a lot of sacrifices, which the star wants his children to be conscious of. About the advice that he has for his children, O'Neal said,

“Just do something else.”

O’Neal’s advice was related to urging his children to pursue careers other than basketball. The basketball Hall of Famer explained to Today,

“In order to sometimes be great, you have to sacrifice a lot. My family was always there for me. But you know, I have seven beautiful children, and I tell them all the time: ‘We don’t need another basketball player, at all. So if you want to play basketball, cool. But please go to law school. Please go to medical school. Please be an engineer. Please be a AI inventor.’”

Shaquille O'Neal is mindful of the sacrifices that such a high-octane career, such as basketball, necessitates. At the same time, he wishes to give his children the freedom to make their own choices in life. During his conversation with Today, he revealed his aspirations for his children and his parenting style. O’Neal said,

“I give them freedom to be who they are, find out who they are. I never press them. And then I tell them a little bit of reality. ‘In order to touch Daddy’s cheese, you gotta show me two or three degrees.’ So I try to, you know, keep that balance, but I never say, ‘do this, do this, do this.’ You know, they just have to live their lives. I hate using this word, but I have seven perfect children. I haven’t had a problem with any of my children ever.”

About Shaquille O'Neal’s family

Out of Shaquille O'Neal’s seven children, his oldest daughter, Taahirah, was born to him and his ex-girlfriend, Arnetta Yardbourgh, as per E! News. O’Neal shares his other children - Myles, Shareef, Amirah, Shaqi,r and Me’arah - with his ex-wife, Shaunie Henderson, according to the news outlet. Myles, who was Henderson’s son from a previous relationship, was adopted by O’Neal.

O’Neal’s daughter, Taahirah, made her father proud when she graduated from Oglethorpe University. As per People Magazine, the oldest O’Neal child works as a communications analyst at PepsiCo and also works at her father’s entertainment company as a social media assistant.

Myles, on the other hand, is a fashion model and DJ who debuted at Milan Fashion Week in 2018, as per People Magazine. The publication also notes that Myles has appeared on reality television alongside his mother.

Despite O’Neal’s insistence that his children not play basketball, his son Shareef plays basketball for the NBA G League Ignite. In a clip from O’Neal’s soon-to-be-released Netflix docu-series, Power Moves, played during his interview with Today, O’Neal told his son,

“You know you have to give everything up, right? How many birthday parties did I miss?…How many school plays did I miss?…How many times did you wake up and not see me there?…Are you ready to live that life?”

It remains to be seen what direction Shareef chooses to head in his career.

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While Shareef O’Neal seriously contemplates a career in basketball, his sister, Me'Arah, has also chosen to follow in her father’s legendary footsteps.

In 2024-2025, Me’Arah began her freshman season playing collegiate basketball for the Florida Gators. The young player has already represented Florida at the 2025 USA Basketball 3X Nationals, as per the Florida Gators’ website.

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