“Shaquille O’Neal Got Shredded After Kobe Bryant Got Him Traded”: Former 4x Champ Once Revealed How The Diesel Got Into the ‘Best Shape’ of His Career

There have been intervals in the life of NBA great Shaquille O’Neal where he is not just one of the biggest men on the planet but also the most shredded at his size.

The 7ft 1” juggernaut is one of the most dominant players in the game of basketball because of the athleticism he had even when was not in his best shape.

Coming into the league in 1992 with a humungous body of 290 pounds of sheer muscle to gaining 50-60 pounds in 7-8 years down-the-line, getting traded from the Los Angeles Lakers because of it, and then getting back at his shredded self once again, the man did it all.

Also read: “Kobe Bryant Walked Away With 4 Friends From 20 Years in NBA”: Caron Butler Once Revealed How He Made It to The Mamba’s Tight Circle

Shaquille O’Neal took Kobe Bryant getting him traded seriously, and went through a massive transformation

John Salley has played with some of the best teams in the 80s and 90s – the Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls, and the Los Angeles Lakers. The decent role-playing big man won championships and witnessed plenty of things firsthand which are too exciting for fans to hear.

And the man told some great stories over the years. Let’s get to his Kobe-Shaq story, where the 4x NBA champ revealed how O’Neal “got shredded” after Bryant “got him traded” in 2004 as their relationship was getting worse with Shaq’s declining fitness.

Even O’Neal once accepted the fact that he was in his best shape in his first year with the Heat. So, the Lakers choosing Bryant over him did the trick when Phil Jackson, the team management, and even Kobe could not do it with all their strength.

At 50, Shaq has shredded again

More than a decade into his retirement, and thousands and millions of burgers, pizzas, and “diet” cokes later, O’Neal was in his worst shape a few months back.

He has been an analyst with TNT for all these years, so his big belly could not be ignored whenever he came to the sets of Inside the NBA.

But a few months back, the man found the determination to get his 6-packs back at 50 years and 400 lbs, surprisingly achieving his target once again.

https://t.co/k0t8OFRoVa

— James Stokes (@JamesDStokes7) November 22, 2022

So, yeah, like Bryant said, if Shaq had his work ethic, they would have 10 championships. But, that’s not possible, right? The Mamba was one of one.

Also read: Shaunie Hilariously Reveals Inviting ‘Cheater’ Shaquille O’Neal to her Marriage with Pastor Keion Henderson

About the author

Akash Murty

An Electrical and Electronics Engineer by degree, Akash Murty is an NBA Editor at The SportsRush. Previously a Software Engineer, Murty couldn’t keep himself away from sports, and his knack for writing and putting his opinion forward brought him to the TSR. A big Soccer enthusiast, his interest in basketball developed late, as he got access to a hoop for the first time at 17. Following this, he started watching basketball at the 2012 Olympics, which transitioned to NBA, and he became a fan of the game as he watched LeBron James dominate the league. Him being an avid learner of the game and ritually following the league for around a decade, he now writes articles ranging from throwbacks, and live game reports, to gossip. LA Lakers are his favourite basketball team, while Chelsea has his heart in football. He also likes travelling, reading fiction, and sometimes cooking.

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