"In my former life I was Phil Heath" - Shaquille O'Neal compares himself to 7x Mr. Olympia in latest social media post
Over his career, there was a lot of criticism toward NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal, not only regarding his playing style (e.g. free-throw shooting), but his weight too.
Even though O'Neal paid no attention to what others were saying about his playing style, he started caring more about his health and that's how he started his journey of weight loss.
Today, the LA Lakers legend can proudly say that he’s a changed man. So much so that he even compared himself to a seven-time Mr. Olympia winner.
At one point in time, fellow NBA and Lakers legend, the late Kobe Bryant, said that Shaquille O’Neal would have been the greatest player of all time if he had focused more on his nutrition and health. There is a lot of truth to this statement, since O'Neal rarely went to the gym to put extra work nor did he care about his weight.
Since retiring, however, the four-time NBA champion has taken his health very seriously, not only by working on his body, but by investing in health and nutrition companies. In 2021, he became the brand ambassador for a leading sports nutrition company, Novex Biotech.
The partnership has paid major dividends for the 7-foot giant. In his latest Instagram video, Shaquille O'Neal showed off his impressive physique.
In the caption, he even compared himself to seven-time Mr Olympia, Phil Heath. He wrote:
"In my former life i was @philheath we almost there @rocshabazz that @novexbiotech #gf9 baby."
Phil Heath, a long-time friend of Shaq, has often credited the NBA champ for helping him through his losses. However, as clearly visible, Heath has also served as an inspiration to O’Neal.
Dealing with his weight wasn’t easy for Shaquille O'Neal, who has said how his massive physique was causing him problems, and had pushed him to the brink of obesity.
O’Neal knew that he needed to get his weight under control. Therefore, he came with a plan to achieve his goal. He said:
“280 is too skinny. I was 401. … I went into the hospital at 375. Way below 375 right now. 350 is the goal weight but if I don’t see the eight-pack, I’m a take it even lower.”
Shaquille O'Neal's NBA accomplishments
Shaquille O'Neal spent 19 years in the NBA and retired as a legend and one of the greatest to ever play in the league.
As a young big man with the Orlando Magic, he dominated the league and then joined the Lakers, helping the franchise return to the top.
Playing alongside Bryant, he went on to win three straight titles (2000-2002), creating one of the best duos of all-time.
In 2004, he left the Lakers after losing to the Detroit Pistons in the NBA Finals. O'Neal joined the Miami Heat and won the 2006 NBA championship.
He then played for the Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns and Cleveland Cavaliers, before calling it a day in 2011.
After his retirement, he has become a successful businessman, while working as an NBA analyst with TNT.