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Having Been ‘Dwarfed’ By Yao Ming, 7’1″ Shaquille O’Neal Had History Repeat Itself As 7’6 Tacko Fall Towered Over The Lakers Legend

Nandjee Ranjan
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Having Been 'Dwarfed' By Yao Ming, 7'1" Shaquille O'Neal Had History Repeat Itself As 7'6 Tacko Fall Towered Over The Lakers Legend

Shaquille O’Neal is one of the biggest men in NBA history. Big Shaq was not just 7ft tall but he was also massive in his body. In his playing days, his figure was so intimidating that sometimes opponents got out of Diesel’s way. It is almost impossible to make him look small in size, on the court, or in real life. He used his size to dominate on the basketball court. It is usual for Shaq to look small in front of people, except maybe Houston Rockets’ great Yao Ming. Another name that has been added to the list is Taco Fall. 

Recently, O’Neal was visiting one of the games in the Summer League. He was seen shaking hands with Kareem Abdul Jabbar who was sitting in the stand. However, after meeting Jabbar, when Shaq raised his head, he found Taco standing right in front of him. It was astonishing to watch O’Neal small in front of Fall.

Shaquille O’Neal looked small against 7’6” Taco Fall

Taco Fall doesn’t need to jump in order to dunk. He was one of the crowd favorites when with the Boston Celtics. At 7 ft 6 in when Big Diesel walked towards Fall to shake hands, the smile on his face said everything. Even Shaq knew that he looked small in front of the Senegalese basketball player. Fall and Shaq met when the former was still with the Boston Celtics. Take a look at the Instagram post below by Bleacher Report

 

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After going undrafted, Fall was signed by the Boston Celtics in the same year. In 2021 he joined Cleveland Cavaliers but was waived by the team. In the modern NBA skillset matters a lot. Fall is an example of how height isn’t everything for a player when it comes to basketball. Skills in the paint area, defense, and the ability to impact the game on both sides of the floor are very important. As offense directed as the modern NBA is, it takes a lot more than height to make an impact on the outcome of the game.

Shaquille O’Neal looked too small in front of Goliath like Robert Wadlow

Shaquille O’Neal was not like any other 7ft tall NBA player. Unlike others like Wilt Chamberlain, O’Neal used his height and big frame to dominate on the court. However, he was mean and sometimes so dominant that it appeared abusive to his opponents. Perhaps nobody could have dominated the big man, except Robert Wadllow. The 8’11 tall Wadllow is the tallest man recorded in human history. Shaq decided to take his height test against the wax figure of the Alton Giant. In the hilarious snap, Dr. O’Neal looked at a small man in front of the Goliath figure. Shaq said he would still have 40 points, 19 rebounds, and 5 blocks on the giant. 

Standing at a Goliath-like height of 8’11, Robert Wadlow (1918-1940) is the tallest man to have ever walked on Earth, at least the tallest ever in recorded history. The ‘Alton Giant’ has several wax figures of his made and Shaquille O’Neal decided to stand next to one, resulting in a hilarious graphic being produced

About the author

Nandjee Ranjan

Nandjee Ranjan

Nandjee is an NBA writer currently working for Sportsrush. A LeBron James fan, he supports the Los Angeles Lakers and is a passionate basketball player. Sports has had an immense impact on his personal development since a very young age. He was a zonal level football player for three years, and his passion for sports has inspired him to write about it. He has a Master's in Political Science as well as Philosophy from Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University, respectively. In his spare time, he loves to go on adventures and enjoys trekking.

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