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Shaquille O'Neal, just like the rest of the world, was affected by the pandemic. The NBA legend gained weight during the extended lockdown, as O'Neal's weight hovered at more than 400 pounds at one point.
In an interview with Brian J. Roberts on his podcast, O'Neal revealed one of the motivations for getting healthy. The LA Lakers legend noted that he was getting out of shape and decided to start losing weight. He even mentioned that seeing Charles Barkley looking comparatively fitter was reason enough to bring about a change in lifestyle.
"I was really getting fat and really getting chubby. I was like, 'You know what? I want to work out.' Not to the point where I want to be a bodybuilder and eat salad all the time. My new mission is my belly cannot be over my belt, ever," O'Neal said.
"Shaq's getting fat and I look cause I was like, 'You know what? I'm getting kinda chubby.' Damn, I look bigger than Barkley. Let me rather than going, so criticism don't hurt me," he added.
The pandemic was not easy for everyone, even for someone like Shaquille O'Neal, who has a larger-than-life personality. One of his best friends, Kobe Bryant, sadly passed away before the lockdown, while his sister also passed away in 2019. It was a tough situation for O'Neal, but it's now a thing of the past.
The NBA legend has since lost plenty of weight and recently celebrated his 50th birthday in style. Despite not fulfilling his promise to take his shirt off and show off his abs, "Diesel" looks healthier.
Shaquille O'Neal describes his life before, during and after the NBA
Shaquille O'Neal had one of the best careers in the history of the NBA. He has won four NBA championships and is often considered the most dominating force the league has ever seen. But O'Neal had a surprising description of his life in an interview with Brian J. Roberts.
"My life has been peaks and valleys. Really good minor, terrible high school. Best high school player, now you gotta star all over. Now, when I got to college it was the same thing... And then the same thing when I got to the pros... So whenever they tell me I can't do nothing, that's just gonna make me work harder," O'Neal said.
It was definitely not an easy path to success for Shaquille O'Neal even though he was the first overall pick in 1992. O'Neal played four dominating seasons with the Orlando Magic before signing with the LA Lakers in 1996. It took him four more years to become the most dominating player in the league.
Alongside Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson, O'Neal led the Lakers to three straight NBA championships from 2000 to 2002. He was then traded to the Miami Heat in 2004, winning his fourth NBA title in 2006. The big man would then bounce around to the Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics before retiring in 2011.
