“When I get rich, that’s not happening to me” - Shaquille O'Neal opened up on getting a book on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's life from his father in his biography 'Shaq Uncut'

Shaquille O'Neal refused to make the same mistakes that NBA legends before him made. He decided to live a better life and make smart investments outside of basketball so that he would never go bankrupt. Many athletes go broke after retiring and O'Neal made sure he didn't.

Shaquille O'Neal has had one of the most inspiring careers amongst NBA legends. His father was a drill sergeant in the US army and he consistently pushed Shaq to be greater.

O'Neal faced several obstacles on his way to stardom and he detailed his life's journey in the book - "Shaq Uncut - My Story." He recalled a memory when his father handed him Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's biography and he learned a valuable lesson. As per the book, he said:

"One of the first books he ever gave me was a story of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s life. I read the whole thing, and one part of the book was about how Kareem lost all his money investing in soybeans. I told myself, 'When I get rich, that’s not happening to me.'"

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's ill investments weren't entirely his fault. Unlike players today, who are largely the face of any investment they make, stars in the 1970s and 80s invested in financial assets more quietly.

In a 1987 Sports Illustrated interview, Abdul-Jabbar revealed that his misfortune was a result of maladministration by his business manager Tom Collins. He said:

"I just assumed Tom knew what he was doing. I felt insecure going out and trying to find somebody new. He represented a lot of athletes. There hadn't been any complaints that I was aware of, so I just decided that the status quo was fine."

After the six-time champion discovered that he was liable for $9 million worth of debt, he fired Collins and several lawsuits followed.

Shaquille O'Neal is the face of several restaurants, beverage companies, apparel and sneaker lines as well as fast-food chains. He has an endless list of endorsements and Charles Barkley once roasted him for accepting any endorsement deal that came his way.

Shaquille O'Neal reveals that his father didn't want him to shoot skyhooks like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal of the LA Lakers in 2001.

Shaquille O'Neal shared a story of his father refusing to let his coach teach him a skyhook. Sergeant Harrison believed Shaq had raw power that should be put to use and that his uncanny agility and athleticism cannot be taught.

He insisted that O'Neal shouldn't waste his time with finesse moves with the famous skyhook, but rather dunk the ball with ferocity.

In the book "Shaq Uncut - My Story," the LA Lakers legend recalled the story:

"Another time Dale brought in Kareem to teach me a sky hook. He brought in Bill Walton, who later told reporters I reminded him of Charles Barkley because of my "raw power." My father heard about these visits and wanted to know why Dale was encouraging me to shoot a hook shot."

Dale Brown was the coach at LSU, Shaquille O'Neal's alma mater. He was trying to get O'Neal to learn a hook shot, but his father was adamant against it. O'Neal's father Sergeant Phillips Harrison said:

"He’s a power player. I want him to dunk."