Shaquille O’Neal Retires and Gives a lot of Credit to his Dad

Today Shaquille O’Neal officially hung up his size 23 sneakers. He did it with  humor and humility. He gave credit to his mother and his father. He said that his father gave him tough love that helped in all facets of his life. The sports community will talk about the sports quotes he gave today, but the most touching thing he said was “hopefully my kids will look at me like I look at my parents.” That is the greatest tribute a parent can receive. He credited his family with keeping him grounded, and sadly as we look at some of the younger players you simply don’t see the presence of mature touchstones in their lives. O’Neal was not perfect, but in his prime he was formidable, and he will be missed for his skill and his humor.