Shaquille O’Neal is a tough man on the court and an even tougher father…but only to his sons.
The former NBA star recently sat down with ‘The Pivot Podcast,’ where he shared some of his parenting tactics. While there, Shaq says his daughters are allowed to live with him way longer than his sons can.
“I like my girls a little bit better,” Shaq says. “Because as a man, you have to protect, provide and love your woman. I trust them more because they’re more sensitive. They’re more caring, and they’re thinkers. You know how boys are. My boys, you bring something in front of them, and they’re gone.”
He continued, “I tell my boys when y’all get 18, you all got to go. Girls can stay as long as they want. [The girls] can stay as long as y’all want. Take your time. Go to college, get your master’s, get your doctorate. I’ll pay for it. Take your time.”
Shaq and his ex-wife Shaunie O’Neal share four children together: Shareef, Amirah, Shaqir, and Me’arah. While Shaunie has a son from a previous relationship, Shaq also fathers another child with his former girlfriend, Arnetta Yardbourgh.
Elsewhere in the episode, Shaq speaks on how becoming a father made him more pleasant to be around.
“Being a dad helped me become more likable,” he explained. “You know how it is in sports. When I lose, I’m tearing my house up. I’m pissed, I’m breaking everything, but as soon as you have the kids, soon as you open that door, all that has to go away. It all has to go away, you have to be nice, especially with girls because the kids, they don’t care if you win or lose.”
