Shaquille O’Neal was listed at 315 pounds for all of his championships with the Lakers, but he was actually well over 400 by the time he was gunning for his third championship in 2002. In a wild admission to retired NFL star Tom Brady, the former Lakers big man revealed how he went from 285 pounds in Orlando to over 400 with the Purple and Gold.
“I started as 285 in Orlando. But they started hack-a-Shaq with me early so I started lifting weights and then I was 300 and then 315,” said O’Neal. “When Phil Jackson came and we won the first championship I was 345. Then I had a great summer and came back 385 for the second one. Last championship I was 415.”
Shaq was seemingly at his best during the height of his body weight but it was never going to be sustainable for long. After completing the three-peat in 2002, O’Neal remained a dominant force for years but it required him to shed a lot of pounds.
“When I got traded away, Pat Riley had me doing Army drills and I got back down to 325. I was… up and down.”
Shaquille O’Neal Struggled To Stay In Shape
Shaq’s increased strength and muscle mass were apparently part of his early plan to combat the “hack a Shaq” technique that his competitors would often use. To Shaq’s credit, you can’t argue with the results since he averaged 27 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game on 57% shooting over eight seasons in Los Angeles.
Even so, Shaq wasn’t known for being in great shape during his career, and it was those consistent weight issues that drove a rift between him and his co-star, Kobe Bryant. At the time, Kobe was still riding shotgun to Shaq but their relationship started to wane after their third title as O’Neal continued to show up out of shape. For whatever reason, O’Neal wouldn’t feel it necessary to shed some pounds until the trade to Miami, where he would go on to win his fourth and final title with Dwyane Wade.
Is Shaquille O’Neal The Greatest Center Ever?
On paper, O’Neal’s resume shines with accolades that include 15 All-Star appearances, 2 scoring titles, an MVP, and 4 championships over 19 years in the league. Most impressive, however, was the sheer dominance with which he played. To date, no player in the league has proven to be as unstoppable as O’Neal was during his prime and there may not be a big man who reaches that level again.
Today, the NBA “center” is almost unrecognizable compared to Shaq’s day. With players like Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren ushering in the next generation of long-distance bigs, Shaq’s old-school style of playing around the rim will likely continue dying out but O’Neal will always be remembered for defining the term “big man.” And while It remains to be seen how his legacy will change over time, the Diesel should be proud of what he accomplished in the league and his status as one of the GOATs is right up there with Kareem, Hakeem, and other legendary centers.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
