The majestic NBA career of Shaquille O’Neal was often filled with concerns over his health and fitness. Even after his retirement, the situation did not change much until Shaq himself had a moment of self-realization. In a 2022 interview with GQ, he revealed how his search for a toned body landed him in a joint venture before mocking Charles Barkley in the process.
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The 7ft 1″ big man joked about discovering a disorder following his 50th birthday last year. “I had a new disorder called CBOTBD. Write that down. That’s “Charles Barkley Over the Belt Syndrome,” Diesel stated. While leading a sedentary lifestyle, he put the least focus on his eating habits and well-being. As a result when he “looked down one day, I was like, ‘Damn’. My belly was way over my belt”.
His fitness journey began soon after that as he kept on trying products based on recommendations. None of them worked as the 4-time champion failed to achieve the desired outcomes after using them for a while. “There was one product out there, from a baseball guy—I tried his product, it didn’t work at all,” Shaq mentioned as an example.
Following that, his ambition became bigger than himself as he understood, “There’s a lot of you guys that may want to get back into shape and get their young body”. The 15x All-Star thus shifted his focus on associating himself with the people who were attempting to achieve the same. “Let me go find a company, see who’s doing it,” he highlighted, reflecting on that moment.
The sports analyst succeded in his endeavor as he found an immense deal of help from an organization named Novex Biotech. “I came across Novex Biotech—I tried their product and I started to see greater boosts of energy, it helped burn the fat—doing all of that stuff,” O’Neal mentioned. “Okay, let me help you get this product out. Let’s do a joint venture. I’m gonna help you get this product out for people like me and I want to take something that helps,” he added while discussing his strategy.
The 3x Finals MVP even showcased his faith in the product, highlighting, “I’m not the type that just takes your money and puts my name on some stuff”. The basketball maestro was willing to put his brand value at risk for the greater good of mankind. “It has to work because my name is on the line, my integrity is on the line,” he further added.
A moment of self-discovery changed the trajectory of Shaquille O’Neal’s retirement journey
He rearranged his priority list following that moment. Shaq started spending a significant time exercising to get into better shape. He shared insights into his routine, mentioning, “Just cardio—30-40 minutes—then chest, arms, biceps, triceps. A simple old man workout”.
The 1993 ROTY even went on a run to stay fit which resulted in yet another moment of self-actualization. He started questioning his abilities, stating, “Well, I tried to run the other day and I’m like, “How was I the greatest athlete in the world?”. Shaq regretted neglecting his health, highlighting, “I just lost everything”.
Despite having an illustrious career, the 51-year-old had to accept the value of staying consistent in his fitness activities. One of the most dominant players of all time eventually learned one of the hardest lessons of life.
