Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea, USA TODAY Sports)

Shaquille O’Neal’s Emotional Story Behind His Name

When Shaquille O’Neal was a guest on Oprah’s Master Class , the show aired this amazing clip of Shaq explaining where his name comes from. This is truly hearwarming.

“My mother is my best friend. My mother had me when she was very young. Her mother was so religious that when she had me out of wedlock, the family kind of turned a cold shoulder. We were alone for a while, just going from place to place. …

“One day I finally asked my mother, I said, ‘We have Brians and Kennys and Mikes and Gregs in our family, why did you name me Shaquille?’ She said, ‘I wanted to name you something that meant something.’

“My name is Shaquille Rashaun O’Neal. Shaquille is an Islamic name that means ‘little,’ Rashaun means ‘warrior.’ She said, ‘You’re my little warrior. I’ve fought with you, I’ve fought for you.’” (Transcript via FTW by USA TODAY Sports)