Shaquille O’Neal is quite an interesting character. Former movie star, and California Governor, Arnold Swarzenegger, knows that first-hand.
Back in 1993, the then-46-year-old icon told his experience with the Diesel during a traditional sideline interview.
As you might expect, the story he shared did not disappoint.
“I think this is a whole new dimension; it seems to me. He came over today to Planet Hollywood, and he ate his lunch there. I’m telling you the waitresses went and kept bringing food, one meal after the other, and he must have eaten like 10 meals. It was just staggering the way this guy devoured it. He burns it off playing basketball, practicing, and all this; that is why he has such a low percentage of body fat, and he looks great. He is really well proportioned, and the great thing about it all is that he is a wonderful guy and a very smart guy that has his head together. I think he is really going to go far.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L84pyTfDYQY
O’Neal is a pretty big guy. In his playing days, official measurements had him at 7-1 and 325 pounds. Guys like that, especially when they’re playing, need a lot of calories to keep themselves going.
Who knows what Shaq’s diet is like today, but it’s clear that he’s an eater, and he’s not afraid to say it. Of course, he’s also an entertainer who is great at making others smile.
“I worked at a McDonald’s for one day,” said Shaq (via The Sports Rush). When I was a youngster, my father said you either babysit your siblings or you go to work. I don’t want to babysit kids, so I went to work one day and I was like – I quit. That’s why I respect the people that have real jobs. That’s hard hard work…. You know why I quit? because I got caught stealing fries.”
O’Neal officially retired from the NBA in 2011, but the mark he made, and the legacy he left behind, will withstand the test of time.
Even now, he finds ways to connect to people while keeping the same, loveable personality we’ve all known him for.
Maybe all those calories he consumes are what help to keep him going…
