Shaquille O'Neal advises his own daughters against dating NBA players

NBA great Shaquille 'Neal has won four championships in his career – three with the Los Angeles Lakers and one with the Miami Heat. Along with his NBA career, O'Neal has also been in the spotlight for some time due to his off-court drama. In a recent interview, Shaquille O'Neal revealed that he does not want his daughters – Taahirah (24), Me'arah (14) and Amirah O'Neal (18) – to date an NBA star. 

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Shaquille O'Neal daughters: Shaq advises his daughters not to date NBA players

While talking to US Weekly, O'Neal revealed the plans he has for his daughters and how he does not want them to date till they are 25. He revealed that he wants them to grow up to become independent women, probably owning their company in the future. “I want them to be fully educated or … fully independent,” O’Neal said.

He added that he wants his daughters to have all kinds of goals until they are all 18 and are "little mini-adults". He does not want to become a dad who tells them to "do this, do that", wanting to guide them down the right path. "In the perfect world, I’d like them to have a bachelors and masters and [be] going into their own field."

When asked about dating someone, he was sure that he does not want them to date an NBA player and wants to pick someone suitable for them. “Probably not,” Shaquille O’Neal said, talking about his daughters wanting to date NBA players. He further clarified that when it comes to parenting, he has a few rules. He admitted he acts as a buffer between the mothers and daughters, trying to be the "settler". 

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Shaquille O'Neal ex-wife and Taahirah O'Neal

O'Neal and his ex-wife Shaunie Nelson got married on December 26, 2002. The couple has four children together – Shareef, Me'arah, Shaqir and Amirah O'Neal. In 2007, they filed for divorce but later withdrew. In 2009, they separated because of "irreconcilable differences". His oldest daughter, Taahirah O'Neal, was born while he was dating Arnetta Yardbourgh. 

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(Image credits: NBA Twitter)