Shaquille O’Neal once said:
“My stepdad was a sergeant in the army — a serious, strong man of character. We had an excellent relationship.
I remember playing at Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks during my first NBA season. I had a terrible game. Afterward, he called me and asked why I played so badly. He wondered if it was the pressure of facing Patrick Ewing and the Knicks. I admitted I felt pressure.
He told me, ‘Tomorrow, I want you home at 7:00 AM. Pick me up — we’re going to see a family that has no home.’
The next morning, we came across a family in need. My stepdad gave them money for their next meal and said, ‘That’s pressure. You have everything, yet you call yourself pressured? There’s no pressure in playing basketball and earning millions. Real pressure is felt by those who don’t know when or where their next meal will come from.’ Then he told me to get out and help that family.
I got out and spoke with the man — he had a wife and two children and had just lost his home. He said he was cutting grass for work. I called a friend to get him a job. Then I called another friend to secure an apartment for the family, promising to send a check the next day.
That family needed real help.
After that, I never felt pressure in a basketball game again — because I learned what real pressure truly is.”
Credit: Respective Owner
