Shaq reconciles with biological father: 'I don't hate you'

With Basketball Hall of Fame inductions taking place Friday night in Springfield, Mass., numerous retrospectives are coming out regarding the superstars involved. One of the more personal is Shaquille O'Neal's account of his reconciliation with his biological father, courtesy of The Undefeated's Mike Wise.

"I'm not mad at you," O'Neal is quoted as saying to Joseph Toney in a March meeting. "I don't hate you."

O'Neal's story was well-known during his playing career. Born in Newark, New Jersey, he was raised by his mother and stepfather Phillip Harrison after Toney left the family following O'Neal's birth. Harrison, who was a sergeant in the U.S. Army, brought up O'Neal at military bases all over the world, including Germany and Texas.

Early in Shaq's NBA career, he recorded a rap album that included the track "My Biological Didn't Bother." Several years later, he told reporters that he had no plans to meet his real father, saying it "would be disrespectful of (Harrison)."

Time can heal all wounds however. Harrison passed away in 2013, and O'Neal eventually came to the conclusion it was time to talk to Toney.

"I don't hate you," O’Neal is quoted as telling him. "I don't judge. I don't have the right to judge. And, being a father, I know it's hard."