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Shaquille O'Neal Explains the Meaning Behind His Unique Name

Season 6 Episode 607
Aired on 09/16/2017 | CC tv-pg
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal was born to a young, unwed mother in 1972, and it was just the two of them for much of Shaq's early childhood. The bond between mother and son remains strong today—"My mother is my best friend," Shaq says—and is even reflected in the meaning of Shaq's rather unique name.

"Shaquille is an Islamic name. It means 'little.' Rashaun means 'warrior.' [My mother] said, 'You're my little warrior. I've fought with you; I've fought for you,'" he says.

Here, Shaq opens up about the depth of his mother's love and devotion—recalling how she even got into a physical altercation with a bus driver on his behalf.

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