Shaquille O'Neal recalls story when his father added a dash of discipline with a swift smack on the head for mimicking Dr. J

Shaquille O'Neal is known for his dominant display of strength in his NBA career. However, O'Neal recalled a story of how his father made sure that this became the template for his game rather than him focusing on finesse.

Standing at 7-foot-1 and weighing in at around 315 lbs, O'Neal was nothing short of an imposing physical specimen. His sheer size and stature were enough to strike fear into the hearts of opponents. This was only multiplied by his raw strength and athleticism, which let him do what he pleased on the low block.

The template for Shaq's game was set much earlier in life. O'Neal was always on the taller side, even as a kid. Coming in at 6-foot-4 at the age of 11, it was evident that Shaq would grow up to be an imposing figure.

By virtue of his height, O'Neal had a natural advantage when it came to basketball. He could quite easily just dunk everything. However, there is only so much a basketball player can do with a skillset as limited as this.

During his high school days, Shaq recalled making the decision to expand upon his offensive arsenal by emulating NBA legend Julius Erving.

Erving was known for his aerial acrobatics and finesse around the rim. Considering how appealing it was to a young O'Neal, he made an attempt at a finger roll during a high school game. However, this garnered an interesting response from his stepfather.

Shaq recently shared a reel on his Instagram story that recalled an event from high school. It mentioned that after scoring 45 points, Shaq attempted to score his 47th with a finger roll and missed.

His stepfather immediately made him call a timeout and took him aside and promptly smacked him before asking him to dunk like he wanted to break the backboard.

O'Neal's display set the template for his future success. However, O'Neal did add more facets to his game as well.

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Shaquille O'Neal had a well-rounded game

Shaquille O'Neal is widely known for his strength and displays of raw power in the low post. However, he was a lot more than just a bully.

Shaq's strength was paired beautifully with his other physical gifts. His athleticism and mobility allowed him to run the floor like a forward - a rare sight at the time. While also considering that he was an absolute tank on the break, Shaq had the presence of mind to make plays and rack up assists in these situations.

O'Neal's footwork in the post is also criminally underrated at times. His iconic drop-step, dubbed "The Black Tornado", has seen him rack up several points while demolishing defenders.

Shaq's claim to fame may be his brute strength. But it is safe to say that he was a lot more than a one-trick pony.

Read: Watch: 51-year-old Shaquille O'Neal brutally destroys player in pickup game