📍San Antonio, Texas, USA
1987 – 1989“Shaquille O'Neal was born in Newark, New Jersey, in March 1972, and raised by his mother, Lucille, and his stepfather, Phillip Harrison, an army sergeant. Military life meant constant moves: from Newark to Bayonne, then to Fort Stewart in Georgia and to Wildflecken, an army post in West Germany. In Germany, at a basketball clinic, the thirteen-year-old was spotted by Dale Brown, the coach of Louisiana State University, who was astonished to learn that the enormous boy was not a soldier but a child. In 1987 Sergeant Harrison was transferred to Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas, a sprawling, historic army base, and the family lived on post. Shaq, now nearly seven feet tall, went to Robert G. Cole High School, a small school on the base. His stepfather was strict and demanding, insisting on discipline, respect and hard work, and Shaq later credited him with keeping him out of trouble. At Cole he dominated, and in his senior year, 1989, the team went unbeaten and won the state championship. He went on to play for Dale Brown at LSU, and in 1992 he was the first pick in the NBA draft. With the Orlando Magic, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat, he became one of the most dominant players in history, winning four championships. He has always called Sergeant Harrison the man who made him, and Cole High School honours its famous former student.”
🗺️ Approximate location today
📍 Street view today