Shaquille Rashaun O’Neal, commonly known as Shaq, is a former professional NBA basketball player. He is considered as one of the most dominant basketball centers in the history of the sport. All thanks to his towering height and hefty body frame, Shaq towered in the competitions and utilized these traits to his advantage on the court.
Although being a big man is favorable in the court, it also has many setbacks.
How much does Shaq weigh and how tall is he?
It can affect the speed and cause problem switching, affecting performance. But Shaquille O’Neal has proved it wrong. He is a big man with a nearly unmatched combination of pace, strength, and speed.
Over 19 years of his basketball career, from 1992 to 2011, Shaq O’Neal’s weight fluctuated quite a lot. Here’s a breakdown of his weight during all his years of basketball to answer a common query, how much does Shaq weigh.
Contents
Shaq Stats:
- Weight: 325 pounds
- Age: 50 years
- Height: 7 feet 1 inch
Shaq’s Weight during the Start of his Career:
The four-time NBA champion entered the league weighing 301 pounds. His size was already gigantic compared to his fellow players.
Shaq started putting on more muscle to replenish his relatively lean frame. His weight steadily increased from his first season in 1992 to 1999, when he teamed up with Kobe.
Shaq’s Weight during his First Years with the Lakers:
During his early years with the Lakers, Shaq rapidly gained weight and stood at 340 pounds. His staggering mass and unpaired body control enabled Shaq to assist the Lakers in regaining their glory.
Shaquille O’Neal gained more weight every year and eventually reached an astonishing mass of 380 pounds in 2002.
However, such a much weight made him slower and affected his performance, so he quickly went back to 345 pounds.
Shaq’s Weight during the Peak of his Career:
During the peak of his basketball career, Shaq’s weight constantly fluctuated up and down, with 345 pounds in 2003, 370 pounds in 2004, and again 320 pounds in 2005 while competing with the Heat.
Lastly, he put on 20 pounds for his game with the Celtics and then retired.
Shaq’s Weight after Retirement:
After retiring from his almost 2-decade-long career, it was a hard time for Shaquille O’Neal because there was no working hard, so he reached 400 pounds in 2017.
He maintained it for a few years and then decided to get back in shape when he jumped to 415 pounds during the pandemic in 2020. It was all due to the great pains of his losses and tragedy that made the NBA superstar lose his enthusiasm for working out.
However, Shaq hit the gym very hard in 2021 and aimed for 350 pounds. His goal was to go shirtless for his 50th birthday in March 2022.
Shaq’s Current Weight:
How much does Shaq weigh now?
As of the post-pandemic era, Shaquille O’Neal, one of the finest basketball players in the world, weighs 325 pounds.
Conclusion
From the above discourse, we can conclude that Shaquille O’Neal utilized his size and brute strength correctly and thrived as a basketball player.
He was a true power player and had lots of speed for his massive size. He turned his big size into a weapon and made remarkable history.
