As far as his size goes, Shaq lived up to his nickname, “Diesel.” According to Slate, Shaq is 7 feet tall with an even bigger wingspan of 7 feet, 7 inches. However, Business Insider reports that Shaq is 7’1″. He may be taller than most people, but he’s still shorter than Yao Ming, who “says he’s 7 feet 4,” Shaq posted on Instagram. He also admitted on “NBA on TNT” that his playing weight was 345 pounds for his first championship with the Los Angeles Lakers. Shaq claimed that he weighed 395 lbs by his third championship.
Shaq entered 1992’s NBA draft and was selected by the Orlando Magic as the first overall selection. “When Shaq came into the league, he had such a great passion and enthusiasm for the game,” Hall of Famer David Robinson said. “With his size and strength and mobility, it was something we really hadn’t seen,” Robinson also added. “He’s huge. He’s menacing,” Alonzo Morning, another player, said something about Shaq. The big man was so powerful that he broke backboards with his monster slam dunks.
Shaq was also huge in entertainment, starring in two 1990s films, “Kazaam” and “Steel.” Though both were “critically reviled,” according to ScreenRant, his performances left a long-lasting imprint on pop culture. And he was a rapper, releasing four albums, “in addition to a pair of compilation albums, two soundtracks, one unreleased album, and nine singles. His debut record, 1993’s ‘Shaq Diesel,’ went platinum,” Sports Illustrated reported.