It’s no secret – you just have to open your eyes – Shaquille O’Neal is a Big Man (capital letters intended…). Recently, Shaq has had a few conversations about his size and weight, and how he’s putting in some work at the gym to turn up the Diesel Factor.
On a recent edition of TNT’s Inside the NBA show, Shaq revealed some eye-popping numbers to co-hosts Adam Lefkoe, Candace Parker and Dwayne Wade. Surprise or not? Shaq said he weighed a lot more in “real life” than his official team listing with the Lakers during playing days.
By the way, what do you think of the new personalities on Inside the NBA? Seems like Shaq has got his usual role nailed down (commentary and playing insights from one of the top players even in the game), while Parker and Wade break down the game and stats.
The size-related conversation began when host Lefkoe made a comment about Shaq looking “skinny.” (Really?!? Maybe we here at ShaqFu Radio hadn’t noticed.) Anyway, that started a line of conversation about Shaq’s playing weight back in Laker days and afterward.
So, Lefkoe asked, how big were you during the LA glory days? Shaq: “First championship? 345. Second championship? 365. Last championship? 395. I was big that last championship. Getting down to Miami, Pat wasn’t having that. So I went down to 315 because my body fat had to be 12%.” Three hundred and ninety-five pounds… yikes! No wonder he was so immovable in the paint, and no wonder he was so unstoppable on his power moves to the hoop.
Still, Shaq was always an agile big man…maybe that’s where and how the nickname “Diesel” came from. No stopping him, for sure.
But as for the “skinny” comments, Shaq would have none of it. Yes, O’Neal said, he was doing something about his size. No, he continued, it had little to do with a desire to lose extra pounds. More to add muscle: “I don’t wanna get skinny, I wanna get Diesel. I’m lifting heavy weights. Cuz I’m not doing cardio and eating salad, I don’t wanna eat salad. So I wanna get like real muscular.”
OK, so now we’ll have to keep a close eye on Shaq and any possible size and muscle changes we can see. Of course if the big man ever goes back to AEW Wrestling, we’ll certainly get a better insight into any bulking up O’Neal may be working on. Stay tuned…