*Shaquille O’Neal may not be around his sons Shareef and Shaqir as much, but he can be comfortable knowing their stepfather is looking out for them in the best way.
During a recent episode of “The Groow Zone Podcast,” Keion Henderson and his wife, Shaunie O’Neal, recalled an incident in Texas that left him “scared to death” while trying to bond with his famous stepsons.
The situation in question happened when Henderson, Shaqir, and Shareef were on their way to basketball practice. The windows were down at the time and the youth, who were with their friend Greg, had their shirts off, showing off their tattoos. Although displaying their ink was a normal thing for Shaqir and Shareef, the sight was enough to put Henderson on high alert as they cruised through the streets of the Lone Star state.
“Shareef has 10% skin and 90% tattoos,” Henderson said, noting that Shaqir wasn’t far behind with the tattoo set up on his body.
“In California, this is normal. But in Texas, when people see Black men with tattoos, they don’t see athletes-they see thugs.”
Convinced a police officer might mistake Shaqir and Shareef for drug dealers in their high-end ride, Henderson went into protect mode, persuading his stepsons to avoid attracting attention to themselves.
“I told the boys, ‘Put your arm in the window, sit up straight, and put a T-shirt on so we can get home safely,'” he shared.
Fortunately, no harm came to the boys and everyone is around to tell the story. Henderson’s approach to the situation truly and literally saved the day.
Shaqir and Shareef’s love of tattoos and their natural way of highlighting them is nothing new. The boy’s love of body art comes straight from O’Neal, who is known for the nine tattoos he proudly displays on his 7 ft, 1-inch frame.
Marca notes that each tattoo on O’Neal carries personal significance, with them reflecting his identity, dominance on the basketball court, and passion for music. The 4-time NBA champion and Superman fan’s ink includes multiple logos related to DC Comics’ iconic Man of Steel as well as a globe with the words “The World Is Mine,” and tributes to his daughters on his wrist.
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