How tall is Shaq's dad, who is he and are they close? Bio and all the details

How tall is Shaq's dad, who is he and are they close? Bio and all the details

Claudia Kogi
updated at October 26, 2023 at 11:10 AM

NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal, commonly known as "Shaq," is a former professional basketball player in the US who is currently a sports analyst on the television program Inside the NBA. Aside from being renowned as one of the most dominant and successful basketball players of all time, his 7 feet 1-inch height has also been a topic of interest since his rise to basketball fame and fortune. As a result, fans have enquired about his parents' height. How tall is Shaq's dad? Is he as tall as his son? Read on to find out.

What happened to Shaq's dad?
Shaquille O'Neal attends the debut of Shaq's Fantasy Lab Las Vegas at the Fashion Show mall on 8 October 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo: Gabe Ginsberg (Modified by author)
Source: Getty Images

Who is Joseph Toney? Toney is an American-based national who became famous for being the father of the renowned basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal. He has not been a dire part of the player's life, as he spent most of his years behind bars for drug possession and forging checks. Is Shaq's dad alive?

Shaq's dad's profile summary

Full name

Joseph Toney

Year of birth

1949

Place of birth

United States of America

Height

6 feet 1 inch or 185 centimetres

Famous for

Being Shaquille O'Neal's father

How tall is Shaq's dad?

Joe Toney, Shaq's dad, stands at the height of 6 feet 1 inch or 185 centimetres, which is much shorter than Shaq's 7 feet 1 inch or 216 centimetres height. Shaq's dad and mom share almost the same height, with an inch separating them. Allegedly, Shaq was already 6 feet 6 inches or 198 centimetres tall at 13 years of age.

What is Shaq's dad's age?

The professional NBA player's father was born in 1949 in the United States of America. Therefore, as of 2023, he is 74 years of age. He has been overly discrete about the exact date of his birth and family background.

What happened to Shaq's dad?

Even though Toney is Shaquille O'Neal's biological dad, he pays so much regard and respect to his late stepfather, Army Sergeant Phillip Harrison, who raised him to the man he is today. At a young age, Toney got detained for drug possession and check fraud and, as a result, became absent in Shaq's life.

How tall is Shaq's dad?
O'Neal speaks during TechCrunch Disrupt 2023 at Moscone Center on 19 September 2023 in San Francisco, California. Photo: Kimberly White (Modified by author)
Source: Getty Images

After serving his six-year time in prison, he allegedly did not make any effort to look for his family. However, after some time, he began looking for his family, but the late Army Sergeant Phillip Harrison forbade him from doing so. When the former professional athlete was asked if he was ready to meet his biological father, he said,

I do not hold a grudge because my life went the way it was supposed to go. I live a really good life with a guy who is not even my biological father. He made me who I am today, so I have to respect that, I have to understand that, and I do not dwell on anything else.

Although the professional NBA player had every reason to be angry at his biological father, he chose to see things differently. He went on Dr Phil and spoke about meeting his biological father at 44 and said,

It is not about what happened. Cause I have learned you cannot judge a man. I do not judge. He had some problems when he was young. I do not judge him. I do not fault him. My thing now is just that as long as we are both here, we just get to know each other.

When did Shaq's dad pass away?

After Toney was sentenced to prison, Shaq's mother, Lucille O'Neal, got married to Phillip Harrison, who raised the former athlete alongside three siblings. Shaq has made no secret about the fact that his stepfather, Philip, was the one who introduced him to basketball.

Shaq's stepdad was an Army Seargent, so they had to travel and live in different parts of the world on military bases. Unfortunately, Harrison passed away in 2013.

Shaq's dad on Ricki Lake

O'Neal told Toney he was not angry that Harrison became the male role model he needed. He expressed to him that he was upset at him for showing up on the Ricki Lake Show after 18 years of not hearing from him.

When did Shaq's dad pass away?
Shaquille attends the 44th Annual Sports Emmy Awards at Lincoln Center on 22 May 2023 in New York City. Photo: Arturo Holmes (Modified by author)
Source: Getty Images
I had a good life. I had my own room. I had grass to cut. I had neighbours' grass to cut. I was not fearing for my life. I had a couple of fights here and there, but it is not like walking around the corner and people shooting at you. I had a great life, and I was not complaining.

There is definitely so much more than just how tall Shaq's dad is. His absence in the NBA legend's life, his life behind bars, his relationship with him, and so much more. Nevertheless, he will forever be a vital part of Shaquille O'Neal's journey.

READ ALSO: What is aquathlon? A detailed explanation of the sport

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Aquathlon usually starts with a swimming segment and then ends with running over a certain distance. Follow the above link to understand all about the sport.

Authors
Claudia Kogi photo
Claudia Kogi
Claudia Kogi is a Kenyan content creator with over 3 years of experience. Claudia joined Sportsbrief.com as a writer in January 2022, covering sports and relatable content.