One of the greatest athletes of all time, Shaquille O’Neal, was a force to reckon with in the NBA. Standing a little above 7-feet tall and weighing close to 340 lbs during his prime, the Big Diesel had the likes of Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen intimidated by his sheer physicality.
Advertisement
Genetically blessed, Shaq was born of tall parents, with his mother Lucille O’Neal being 6ft 1″ and his father Joe Toney being 6ft 2″. At mere 13 years old, the former Louisiana State University player stood at 6ft 6″, shooting up to 6ft 10″ by the time he turned 16.
Thus one can imagine the former Magic rookie being the tallest kid in his school and college days. Surprisingly, this wasn’t something Shaq desired to be, revealing further, the four-time champion would share insight into his childhood days.
Also read: “Oh Sh*t, You Do Fit”: 7ft Shaquille O’Neal Hilariously Recalls Being Pulled Over by a Cop
In the clip below, the Diesel admitted he never wanted to be tall and how he yet managed to engage in activities like skateboarding, jumping off buildings, and performing stunts on his bicycle.
“A disadvantage can always turn into an advantage”: When Shaquille O’Neal revealed he never wished to be tall.
In what may sound surprising to many, Shaq wanted to be like the average American kid. Being the tallest in his class wasn’t something the former ROTY desired to be, citing wanting to do all the activities his ‘little friends’ did, including jumping off buildings and skateboarding.
“I didn’t want to be tall,” said the NBA Hall of Famer in the clip below.
“But a disadvantage can always turn into an advantage because I didn’t want to be tall, all the stuff that my little friends could do, I could do. You jump off this building, let me do it, you do skateboarding, and on the bicycle, you do a curved window and you bring the back tire, let me do it. Helped me become more athletic. Oh, you can breakdance, well let me do it. So it affected me little bit but I was like okay, you right, I look crazy tall, but I’mma just hang out with these little guys and just do what they do.”
A physical specimen, Shaq’s size never deterred him from pursuing his in entrepreneurship, DJing, and acting. The former 7-foot center was a man of many hats.
Shaquille O’Neal: A freak of nature.
A force unlike the NBA had ever witnessed before, Shaq was a menace on the court, breaking backboards and destroying rims. The fifteen-time All-Star had a list of players he put on the poster, terrorizing opponents in the paint.
While it’s tough to conclude the conversation about the greatest center of all time, the answer is crystal clear when it comes to the most dominant center of all time.
Also read: Shaquille O’Neal Once Hilariously Used 10 Inch+ Hand Size to Pickpocket IT Guy’s Phone
