“Used to Wake up, Have McDonald’s For Breakfast, Lunch”: Shaquille O’Neal Claims He’d Still be Playing Had He Controlled His Diet

Shaquille O’Neal was the most dominant athlete in basketball during an era when sports and dietary sciences hadn’t optimized everything.

O’Neal claims that during his 3-year prime with the Lakers, he weighed over 395 pounds at one point. Even though Shaq’s a 7-footer, most people wouldn’t visualize peak physical performance in his behemoth frame.

Throwback to 2002 when Shaq wore #8 while Kobe Bryant served a 2-game suspension from a fight with Reggie Miller 🐐🐐 pic.twitter.com/yVzEEGipkC

— Mamba Insider (@Mamba_Insider) February 20, 2020

However, O’Neal attributes much of his success to gaining that extra weight to be in game shape for the playoffs. He came into the 2001-02 season visibly out of shape and played himself into playoff form by the end of the season.

Later on, Shaq dropped his weight to around 320 lbs after getting traded to Miami. Training under Pat Riley’s taxing physical regimen definitely helped to extend his career by some margin.

By the time he was traded to Cleveland in 2009, O’Neal was well past his prime at 37 years of age. He couldn’t quite impose his athletic will the same way as he did during his prime. He now regrets not paying more attention to his diet.

Shaquille O’Neal details his McDonald’s-heavy diet during his youth

Shaquille O’Neal was recently interviewed by Yahoo! Sports regarding his weight management. The 3-time Finals MVP has dropped more than 40 kg over the past year after concerns about his cardiovascular health.

He clarifies that the idea of having a nutritionist and a chef was novel even during the early 2000s. Naturally, his diet was heavily

“I used to wake up, have McDonald’s for breakfast, have McDonald’s for lunch, play a game and then go to a restaurant. But now, guys are really conscious of their bodies and have nutritionists.”

https://t.co/T1TLSKft8u pic.twitter.com/YeFMlXVavT

— Amulya Shekhar (@tweet_amulya) April 20, 2023

“There’s more understanding. If I had this internet stuff growing up, I’d be a genius by now. Back then it was like, ‘A nutritionist? What’s that?’ I’d probably still be playing.”

Shaq’s weight loss efforts over the years

Shaquille O’Neal, also known as Shaq, has been known for his impressive size and strength throughout his basketball career. However, in recent years, he has made efforts to lose weight and improve his overall health.

In 2016, Shaq partnered with a weight loss company called Zales to promote their line of men’s wedding bands. As part of the partnership, he also shared his weight loss journey with fans, revealing that he had lost over 30 pounds through a combination of diet and exercise.

More recently, he’s partnered with Novex and has reportedly lost 40 pounds in a year.