Over the past few years, Shaquille O’Neal has been on a body transformation journey, losing weight, smashing his fitness goals, and documenting his efforts to slim down in a series of thirsty gym photos. But during his rookie year in the NBA, the mission was exactly the opposite.
In a recent conversation with Tom Brady and Jim Gray let’s go During the podcast, Shaq explained that while he weighed around 285 pounds when he left college and began his NBA career with the Orlando Magic, he was quickly asked to gain some weight, resulting in “a weight gain” during his first season 130 lbs.”
“They started Hack-a Shaq with me early on,” he said. “So I started lifting weights and I was 300, then 315. Phil Jackson came in, and the first championship I was 345, and then I had a great summer and the second championship I was back at 385.”
He added that when he left Orlando for the Los Angeles Lakers, he weighed 415 pounds. But that changed when he signed with the Miami Heat. “Then when I got traded, Pat Riley put me through Army drills and I went back to 325,” he continued. “There are ups and downs.”
This weight was due to his pre-game diet at the time. “Every day before a game, I eat two club sandwiches, chips and a pineapple soda,” Shaq told men’s health 2021. Today, at 51, he’s more likely to eat salmon, lean chicken or turkey than a club sandwich…albeit a sizable amount. After all, the guy is still 7 feet 2 inches tall.
Philip Ellis is news editor men’s health, covering fitness, pop culture, sex and relationships, and LGBTQ+ issues.His work has appeared in GQ, Teen Vogue, Man Repeller and MTV, and he is Love and other scams.