Shaquille O’Neal has pretty much trademarked the word ‘Big’ in America. While his towering 7 ft 1″ figure may distinguish him in a crowd of people(even a crowd of NBA stars for that matter), his ‘Big’ moniker makes Shaq’s products stand out in the market, whether it be his restaurant chain ‘Big Chicken’ or the ‘Big Podcast with Shaq’. However, there’s one man who can threaten the Big Diesel’s shtick. 7 ft 6″ Yao Ming was touted as the Superman’s antidote during his time in the NBA and it seems like he can still dwarf the Big Man’s massive frame any day of the week.
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Yao Ming entered the NBA in 2002 and was immediately pitted against Shaq, one of the tallest players in the NBA at the time. The two centers dominated the league with their prowess in the paint. Ming’s career in the league lasted less than a decade after he retired in 2011 due to a host of injuries slowing him down.
Yao Ming towers over Shaquille O’Neal once again
The matchup between Shaq and Yao on the court was something that attracted huge swaths of fans. The battle of the Titans always swayed slightly in the favor of O’Neal because of the teams he has played in. However, Ming recently proved that he will always be the tallest man in a room with his American friend.
The two former NBA stars recently met in what seemed like the lounge of an event. They dapped up before giving each other a side hug and then started catching up. Shaq recently posted the clip of the link-up on his Instagram with the caption, “Always good seeing my brother @[Yao Ming].”
Ming spent all his years in the NBA with the Houston Rockets after an initial stint with the Shanghai Sharks. The 43-year-old recorded eight All-Star appearances in his nine years in the league. However, his rivalry with Shaq never really transcended their size factor because Ming failed to be a dominant presence during the postseason. The Chinese national retired without a single NBA Finals appearance.
Shaq told a funny story about Yao during his Hall of Fame speech
The height difference between Shaq and Yao has always been the media focus. However, the two also share a cordial relationship outside the NBA court.
During his Hall of Fame Induction speech in 2016, Shaq recounted a funny story regarding an interaction between him and Yao Ming. As it turns out, the four-time NBA Champion didn’t know that Ming spoke English. Therefore, he was baffled one time when the Houston star responded to his compliment in clear English.
