Shaquille O'Neal tells Tom Brady he weighed a whopping 415 lbs during Lakers' three-peat season
Shaquille O'Neal made a surprising revelation during an interview with NFL legend Tom Brady, disclosing that he weighed an astonishing 415 lbs when the LA Lakers clinched their third-straight championship in 2002.
In an appearance on the “Let’s Go!” podcast with Brady and Jim Gray, Shaquille O'Neal revealed a startling pattern regarding his weight throughout the Lakers' three-peat.
He disclosed that he weighed 345 lbs when Phil Jackson took over as coach of the team in 1999. After what he described as a "great summer," his weight shot up to 385 lbs the following year. In the final year of the three-peat, he further bulked up to 415 lbs.
According to Basketball Reference, O’Neal was listed at 325 lbs in the 2001-02 season.
O'Neal said it was not until he got traded to the Miami Heat that he started to lose weight:
“When I got traded away, Pat Riley got me doing Army drills and I got back to 325,” O’Neal said.
The 51-year-old was at his lightest during his rookie year with Orlando, weighing in at 285 lbs. Due to his exceptional height and weight, coupled with his talent, O'Neal became one of the most dominant forces in the history of the NBA.
The Hall of Fame-worthy career of Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille O'Neal's illustrious career was honored with his induction into the Hall of Fame in 2016, a fitting tribute after his retirement in 2011.
His Hall of Fame profile recognizes his towering height as the distinctive feature that set him apart throughout his career.
“Shaquille Rashaun O’Neal was always the biggest kid on the court,” it read. “From his days as a McDonald’s High School All-America to his backboard-shattering days in the NBA, the man with the endless Rolodex of nicknames and dance moves was known as much for his fun-loving attitude as his basketball ability.”
As the first overall pick in the 1992 NBA Draft, Shaq immediately left his mark, earning the Rookie of the Year award in 1993 and leading the Orlando Magic to the 1995 NBA Finals.
Upon joining the LA Lakers, Shaq forged a formidable partnership with Kobe Bryant, culminating in a remarkable three-peat. Shaq was named the Finals MVP in each of those series.
Later, he moved on to Miami, where he clinched another NBA championship in 2006.
A 15-time All-Star, Shaq boasts of an impressive 14 All-NBA team selections, three NBA All-Defensive Team selections, and two scoring titles over the course of his remarkable career, during which he reportedly made $286,344,668.