If you ever associated Shaq with a lumbering gorilla, you’re definitely neither the first human nor the first primate to think that particular way.
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Shaq is the biggest, baddest mofo to ever ply his trade in the NBA. There are tales that many of us modern fans have dug up about the likes of Wilt Chamberlain. But save for the 2-time champion and Hall of Famer, nobody else even comes close to Shaq’s size.
O’Neal was, and probably still is considered, the biggest freak of nature to play in the NBA. His ability to move fluidly up and down the court despite being over 7′ tall and weighing 300 pounds when he first came into the league marked him out as an extra-special player.
Indeed there can’t be a more intimidating sight in basketball history than Shaq leading a transition in full cry. Defenders would literally move out of his way as he came down with the force of a howitzer and punched a hole into the rim with every assault.
Shaquille O’Neal was, and continues to be such a monumental beast that the Superman tat on his elbow eminently suits him – and only him. Supermen like Dwight Howard and Giannis have come and gone, but Shaq will forever be the Most Dominant Ever.
Shaq says gorillas accept him as one of their own
Yet another anecdote that proves just how big Shaq is in real life comes from the 19-year NBA veteran himself. Talking to Insider, Shaquille O’Neal had this to say about zoo visits across the world:
“True story. I’ve been to every zoo in the world, and every time I go to the gorilla section, they look at me like, ‘hey man, where your fur at?’ For real. For real.”
“That’s how they look at me. They also look at me like, ‘What am I doing in here and you out there?’ And they always go crazy when they see me.”
“I’ve been to every zoo in the world, and every time I go to the Gorilla section — they always go crazy when they see me.” 😂@SHAQ calls the “Director of the Miami” zoo on the latest episode of #TheBigPodcast: https://t.co/uk7wxLBkhU pic.twitter.com/R4on4AIhq8
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 2, 2022
To make sure that his anecdote held up, Shaquille O’Neal called up a zoo director. The director of the Miami zoo himself picked up the call and corroborated the Lakers legend’s tale.
Alright Shaq, we see ya!