NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal reveals he has been hitting the gym to post a topless picture on Instagram for his 50th birthday in March.
Advertisement
Shaquille O’Neal was a physical specimen when he first entered the league. The seven-foot center had a freakish athletic ability and was a terror in the paint. During his Hall of Fame career, Shaq used his size and strength to his advantage, playing bully ball.
However, as years passed, Shaq would tend to gain weight, leading to a rise in injuries. The Lakers legend had one of the worst diets an athlete could have, including burgers from McDonald’s, turkey club sandwiches with extra mayo, and two pineapple sodas. Shaq’s indiscipline with his diet and training was one of the main reasons for his fall-out with Kobe Bryant.
In what many believed, the iconic duo of Shaq and Kobe would have won more titles after their 3-peat had, O’Neal stayed determined and disciplined. Post his retirement, Shaq lost some additional pounds, looking his best. The former scoring champion would embark on a new journey in television broadcasting. O’Neal also has various endorsements under his name.
In an interview with Men’s Health, Shaq revealed that his weight had climbed to 415 pounds during the pandemic. Nonetheless, he aims to slim down to 315 pounds by his 50th birthday in March.
Shaquille O’Neal plans to get into his best shape ahead of his 50th birthday.
According to Jewel Wicker of Men’s Health, Shaq is already down 50 pounds and won’t stop until he has 8-pack abs. The fifteen-time All-Star has always struggled with weight issues, especially during his pro basketball career.
The award-winning show Inside the NBA often has Shaq and co-panelist Charles Barkley taking shots at each other for their body shape and weight. The two Hall of Famers never shy away from roasting each other on national television.
The former Lakers center had gained considerable weight during the pandemic but aims to lose all of it soon, with his 50th birthday only a few months away.
“During the pandemic, his weight crept up to around 415 pounds,” wrote Wicker. “(His playing weight was 325.) He typically trains four days a week now for about an hour, blasting through 20-minutes of cardio and banging out 40-minutes of strength work. He wants to slim down to 350 pounds and be ripped enough to ‘go topless’ and post an Instagram thirst trap for his 50th birthday in March. His fitness goal, he elaborates, is to make sure his stomach doesn’t hang over his belt.”
With only a few months left, we hope to see Shaq in the best shape of his life. Meanwhile, it will be interesting to see if Inside the NBA co-panelist Barkley takes some inspiration from the Big Diesel.
