“I had two perfect women and I messed it up” – Shaquille O’Neal opens up about destroying his past relationships
“I had two perfect women and I messed it up” – Shaquille O’Neal opens up about destroying his past relationships originally appeared on Basketball Network.
For all the times Shaquille O’Neal was an unstoppable force on the court, dunking on entire frontcourts and making defenders’ lives a nightmare days before they actually matched up, off the hardwood, he wasn’t always that fearless, dominant giant.
The same guy who stared down double and triple teams and made it look easy admits he struggled where it mattered most — with the people closest to him. As Shaq himself puts it, he has only two real regrets in life. One is that he didn’t shoot free throws well enough to catch Wilt Chamberlain on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. And the other? Well, it has something to do with the fact that he let two perfect women walk out of his life.
“I had two perfect women and I messed it up,” Shaq candidly admitted during one of his honest interviews. “My first one was my baby mother, Arnetta [Yardbourgh], and then I met Shaunie [Nelson]. Shaunie was also a perfect woman and I messed it up.”
“Yeah, you know, we were young and always just doing dumb stuff. But, the good thing about our relationship is that they forgave me and we have a good relationship now. But when you ask me about the perfect woman — I had two perfect women and I messed it up, just by, you know, being dumb,” the Hall of Fame big man added.
O’Neal learned from his mistakes
Shaq’s relationships with Arnetta Yardbourgh and Shaunie Henderson brought him some of the greatest blessings of his life — his children. O’Neal shares a daughter, Taahirah, with Arnetta. And with Shaunie, he has four more kids: Shareef, Amirah, Shaqir, and Me’arah.
Even though the relationships didn’t work out the way he once dreamed they would, O’Neal’s respect and, more importantly, care for both women haven’t faded one bit. In fact, he’s made it his mission to pass those lessons down to his children, especially his sons, so they don’t make the same mistakes.
“First thing you have to be is honest, honest with yourself and honest with your partner… I tell my sons all the time, a man has three jobs when it comes to a woman. Protect, provide and love,” Shaq explained.
“Some men can only offer two, for whatever reason, but I’m a teach you how to offer all three. And that’s what I try to do — and even though I don’t have a relationship with the women that I let get away, I will always PPL.”
Shaq makes sure to give back to the ones he cares about
Shaq’s NBA resume speaks for itself. The four-time champion, three-time Finals MVP, Hall of Famer and one of the, if not the most dominant players who stepped into the Association. After hanging up his sneakers, he built an empire off the court, too.
With a net worth north of $500 million, O’Neal has become one of the most successful athletes-turned-businessmen in history. But for all his wealth and accomplishments, what defines Shaq more than anything is his generosity. Whether it’s paying for a stranger in Walmart or making sure his loved ones are taken care of, he’s always focused on giving back to the community he grew up around.
And yet, even with all that, the big man’s biggest regret isn’t about money or basketball; it’s about losing the two perfect women he’ll always respect, cherish and support. Something that goes way beyond the bright lights of the NBA arenas.
