“I Lost Myself When Shaq Got Drafted”: Lucille O’Neal Breaks Silence on Life Beyond the Spotlight
Lucille O’Neal, long known to the world merely as Shaquille O’Neal’s mother, is rewriting the story of her life—and it’s nothing like what people think… In a candid revelation this week, Lucille spoke about the years she felt invisible behind her son’s meteoric rise, and why reclaiming her identity became a mission she could no longer postpone…
“I lost my identity when Shaquille got drafted to the NBA,” Lucille admitted, her voice steady but carrying the weight of decades of untold stories. “People didn’t know who I was or only referred to me as Shaq’s mom. I’m more than Shaq’s mom; I have other children too… This book is my testimony.”
Her memoir, originally published in 2010 as Walk Like You Have Somewhere To Go, has been re-released as While I Have Your Attention, offering an updated, unfiltered look at a life lived under the relentless glare of fame, yet defined by personal trials and triumphs… From entering motherhood as a teenager to enduring family struggles with addiction and divorce, Lucille’s story is raw, vulnerable, and deeply human.
Being thrust into the spotlight alongside Shaquille came at a cost. “Being a mother of children who play basketball or get into entertainment causes you to reflect a lot,” she said. “Who am I without all of this attention being brought onto the family? You can lose yourself in the process, and if you don’t find yourself, then you don’t know who you are anymore…”
The journey to self-rediscovery was neither swift nor simple. With faith and resilience as her compass, Lucille began to reclaim her identity, embracing education, philanthropy, and public speaking. She credits her mother and grandmother for early lessons in strength and perseverance, lessons that eventually shaped her own approach to raising her children…
“Parenting is not easy because, first of all, you don’t know what you’re doing,” she reflected. “I was a mother at 17 and didn’t have a clue. If it weren’t for my grandmother and mother, I probably wouldn’t have learned many of the basic things about being a mother…” Despite these challenges, Lucille persisted, ensuring that she not only nurtured her children but also nurtured the dreams of the woman she was becoming…
Her return to higher education decades after her first child’s birth marked a symbolic turning point. “It took me 30 years to get there,” Lucille said. “Shaq blessed me because he paid for my college education.” Now, with a platform that reaches countless people, she speaks with authority about motivation, resilience, and the courage to chase long-delayed dreams…
Lucille’s message is simple yet profound: personal identity matters, even when the world only sees you in relation to others. “I tell the mothers and fathers, all the women who want to make a change: don’t ever let your dreams die,” she said. “If you hold on to your dream, it will eventually come true. One dream turns into another, and that dream turns into another…”
In sharing her story, Lucille O’Neal isn’t just reclaiming her own narrative—she’s inspiring generations to acknowledge that life beyond family fame or societal labels is possible. She proves that even in the shadow of a superstar, your own light can shine…
With While I Have Your Attention, Lucille has done more than update a memoir; she’s issued a declaration: she is a force in her own right, a mother, a speaker, a survivor, and a woman who refuses to be defined by anyone else’s story…
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