Shaquille O’Neal Reveals His Double Standard When It Comes to Parenting Sons vs. Daughters

NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal has never shied away from being a hands-on father, often using a mix of humor and strict discipline to raise his children. But during a recent episode of The Big Podcast, Shaq shared a story that exposed a clear double standard in how he parents his sons versus his daughters—especially regarding dating.

“My Sons Can Have Girlfriends Over—My Daughters? No Chance.”

When co-host Adam Lefkoe asked if his daughters had ever had a boyfriend stay over, Shaq didn’t hesitate.

“My boys gonna have their girlfriend stay over anytime they want. Daughters? Nah,” O’Neal said. He then recalled an incident where he discovered one of his daughters had a boyfriend:

“I didn’t even know she had a boyfriend. So she comes one day… and you know, he’s cool. I’m being nice, whatever. But I’m waiting. Me and Kenny [Smith] waiting.”

A Long Night in ‘The Dungeon’

The situation escalated when the boyfriend tried to go upstairs for the night.

“We’re like, ‘No, no, get your a— in the back,'” Shaq said, explaining how he redirected the young man to his home gym—humorously nicknamed “the dungeon.”

But that wasn’t the end of it. Shaq and a friend monitored the boyfriend all night, even adjusting the temperature to make him uncomfortable.

“We drop it to 50 degrees—nah, that’s too cold—bring it up to 70. We watch him all night. We gave him one cover. He didn’t get a good night’s sleep,” Shaq laughed. “He woke up the next morning like, ‘I think I have a cold.’”

Shaq’s Famous “Master’s Degree” Rule

This isn’t the first time Shaq has made it clear he has different expectations for his daughters. In the past, he stated:

“Don’t bring no boys to my house unless you got a master’s degree.”

While his sons enjoy more relaxed dating rules, his daughters, Taahirah, Amirah, and Me’arah, face much stricter standards.

Shaq’s Protective Nature & Controversial Comments

Shaq’s protective attitude toward women has come into focus before—most notably when he made a remark about LSU basketball star Angel Reese’s “little shorts” during a previous podcast episode. The comment stood out given his strong stance on protecting his daughters, sparking discussions about his differing views on women inside and outside his family.

Regardless of the debate, Shaq stands firm in his parenting style—his sons may have it easy, but when it comes to his daughters, it’s the dungeon or nothing.