He was estranged from his biological father from a young age
Shaquille’s life appeared to be going well at first, but things suddenly took a turn for the worst when his biological father, Joe Toney, received a federal jail sentence. Shaq found great encouragement from Joe when he was awarded a basketball scholarship and appeared to be on the rise. That was before Joe lost his scholarship due to being tainted with illegal drugs. This was the start of Joe’s downfall as he battled to sober up, a decision that ultimately put him in legal hot water. Ultimately, Shaq’s biological father was persuaded by Lucille to cede his parental rights to Shaq’s stepfather, Phillip Harrison. Remarkably, Joe consented, and Shaq’s father stopped communicating with him.
Shaq would go to extreme measures to avoid his biological father
Apparently, Shaquille O’Neal had a happy upbringing. Nevertheless, it appeared as though his biological father was always shouting his name. Shaq seems to have always wanted to know more, even though the two parted ways when he was only a little child. The legendary basketball player would frequently visit Newark, New Jersey’s Vonda’s Kitchen. The curve? Under Joe Toney’s flat, the restaurant was discovered. Shaq reportedly wondered frequently if he would encounter his real father, but it didn’t appear like he was prepared to make apologies. During a game in Orlando, rumors have it that the player fled the stadium through the back in an attempt to elude Joe, who had come to try to reconnect with his son after a long absence.