O’Neal and his former spouse, Shaunie O’Neal, share four kids – two daughters named Amirah and Me’arah, as well as two sons named Shareef and Shaqir. Furthermore, the athlete has a daughter named Taahirah from his previous partner Arnetta Yardbourgh, as well as a stepson named Myles from Shaunie’s past relationship.
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Despite the end of his relationships with both of his ex-partners, O’Neal remains committed to co-parenting his children and maintaining positive relationships with them. During an episode of The Pivot Podcast, the athlete expressed gratitude for the two women who have given him beautiful children and acknowledged his responsibility to protect, provide for, and love them forever. In an interview with Mila Kunis on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in October 2017, Shaq revealed his love for spoiling his kids during Christmas and humorously referred to himself as “Shaq-a-Claus.” When asked what he gets his children for the holidays, he responded with a lighthearted “Everything they want.com.”
The generous athlete prefers to wait until his children prove their skills before providing them with assistance in their careers. In an interview with PEOPLE in November 2022, O’Neal made it clear that he will support his children’s business ventures but expects them to put in significant effort and present a solid business plan and resume with numbers to back up their ideas. He believes in nepotism only if it’s executed correctly. It doesn’t matter what they are if they work hard and do things the right way.
Upon his entry into a retirement home, the renowned basketball player expressed his desire for his children to carry on his legacy and grow the wealth he had accumulated through his career. During an interview with the 2 Lies and 1 Truth podcast in October 2022, O’Neal praised the mothers of his children, acknowledging them as the strongest beings on Earth who meticulously planned all of their activities. He further stated that they deserved more respect and credit for all the hard work they did. Additionally, he refused to refer to them as “baby mamas” and instead called them two beautiful Black women who did an amazing job. When asked about his favorite and worst moments with his children, he mentioned that his best moment was hearing their voices every day while the worst part was when they had to separate and weren’t there every day. For more information on O’Neal’s six-person family, please keep reading.
O’Neal has a daughter named Taahirah, who is 27 years old.
In 1996, O’Neal welcomed his daughter Taahirah into the world with his ex-girlfriend Yardbourgh. According to Shaq Life on TnT, she graduated magna cum laude from Oglethorpe University in 2019. Taahirah works part-time as a social media assistant for her father’s entertainment company, Mine o Mine, and as an associate analyst for PepsiCo in communications, as mentioned on her LinkedIn profile. Recently, she shared a picture of herself with her father at the premiere of his show Shaq on November 16, 2022. She expressed her joy and honor to be involved in the project and recalled how it was her first time walking the red carpet with her best friend.