Shaquille O’Neal, nicknamed Shaq, is one of the NBA’s most dominant centers in history. At 7′ 1″ inches tall, 325 pounds, with a 7’4″ wingspan and size 22 shoes, he is one of the tallest, heaviest, and most athletic players in NBA history.
Shaq the Hall of Fame basketball player
Shaq’s combination of height and athleticism made him one of the most dominant and imposing centers in NBA history.
Today’s NBA centers are developing a more well-rounded game and can shoot from the perimeter. In Shaquille O’Neal’s prime with the Lakers, he didn’t have to rely on the three-point shot since his height and bulk (7′ 1″ and 325 pounds) allowed him to dominate the post.
Over a 19-season career including four NBA Championships, 15 All-Star games, the 1992-93 ROY, and the 1999-2000 MVP award, O’Neal used his size and skill to overwhelm opponents with his back to the hoop. His 2016 induction into the Hall of Fame capped off his basketball legacy.
During his time in the NBA, no athlete was as big and dominating on the court as Shaq. But, this 7-foot-1 center was only the fifth-tallest player of his generation, behind Gheorghe Muresan, Manute Bol, Yao Ming, and Shawn Bradley.
Exactly how tall is Shaq?
Shaq has been towering on the basketball court since he was 6’6″ (1.98 meters) and weighed 223 pounds in grade school. While only a few short years later, as a sophomore in high school, he was 6’10” inches tall.
And while Shaq’s parents are taller than most, it wasn’t a predestined route to the NBA. His mother, Lucille O’Neal, is 6’2″ and raised three other children. All without his paternal father, 6’1″ Joe Toney, in Shaq’s childhood. Somehow, Shaq as a kid literally and figuratively grew into his athletic potential.
And a good thing as even Shaq’s shoes are massive, each is approximately the same size as a bowling pin. Getting this Diesel up to speed was a hell of a process.
Hack a Shaq height disadvantage
Amidst extraordinary pressure to perform, he delivered time after time inside the paint. O’Neal led the NBA in field goal percentage ten times, breaking the athletic legend Wilt Chamberlain’s record of nine seasons leading the league.
How tall Shaq is undoubtedly contributes to his career field goal accuracy of .582. But his height and hands might also be why he shot an abysmally low 52.7 percent from the free throw line.
So prolific was O’Neal around the rim that opposing teams often intentionally fouled him, reducing their big men’s playing time. But because of Shaq’s poor free throw shooting, the model proved troublesome for O’Neal. And the hack a Shaq strategy was born out of necessity.
O’Neal Business ventures
While winning championship after championship in professional basketball, Shaq Fu made his entrance into the boardroom and Hollywood. His first studio album was called Shaq Diesel. And he has appeared in many movies, including Blue Chips and Kazaam. While he also showed up on the small screen in The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, The Cleveland Show, and many more.
And in retirement, the basketball legend continues to take advantage of every business opportunity. One of the most successful and popular basketball players in history, he invested early in NRG, an eSports company that’s helped bring attention to the emerging sport.
“The Big Aristotle” is not only one of the best basketball players of all time but also one of the most charitable. He has donated to many charities such as the Boys and Girls Club, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and many more. How tall Shaq is makes him not only a Hall of Fame basketball player but an even better person.
