"That's my show, Shaq vs": Shaquille O'Neal once revealed origins of his TV show Shaq Versus in his 2011 autobiography
Looking back on Shaquille O'Neal's 2011 autobiography titled "Shaq Uncut: My Story," he revealed the time he formed the concept of his 2009 reality show "Shaq vs."
"So, one night I'm watching Michael Phelps swim and I said, 'Damn, that dude is fast,'" O'Neal said. "I'm talking to my boys and I said, 'Do you think if Michael Phelps went down and back for one lap and all I had to do was just go down for half a lap, could I beat him? I think I could.' We started laughing, and I said, 'That's it. That's my show, Shaq vs.'"
"Shaq vs." lasted for two seasons with five episodes each. The show was produced for ABC by Dick Clark Productions and Media Rights Capital.
Shaquille O'Neal's show aired its first episode on Aug. 18, 2009, and its final episode on Aug. 31, 2010. "Shaq vs." was not renewed for a third season.
"Shaq vs." saw guest appearances from famous athletes such as Ben Roethlisberger, Michael Phelps, Charles Barkley, and even artists such as Justin Bieber and Jimmy Kimmel.
How did Shaquille O'Neal fare against Michael Phelps
In the season 1 finale of "Shaq vs." O'Neal matched up against Michael Phelps in three rounds of a swimming competition.
The first round was a freestyle event for the two athletes. O'Neal had to cover 25 yards, while Phelps had to swim 50 yards with a 5-second head start. Michael Phelps lost the first round to Shaquille O'Neal. Phelps finished with 24.03 on the timer, while O'Neal finished with 23.14.
The second round, on the other hand, was a tiring relay. The event involved four swimmers who had to cover 100 or 200 meters together.
On O'Neal's corner, he had three Olympic female swimmers, while Phelps had to finish the 200 meters by his lonesome. Despite the three female swimmers finishing before Phelps with O'Neal having a good lead, Phelps pulled through with a come-from-behind victory.
Lastly, the third round had Shaquille O'Neal cover 50 yards, while Michael Phelps had to cover 75 yards. Phelps finished the contest with a 2-1 victory. He finished with 38.59 on the timer, while O'Neal finished with 38.76.
It was a great back-and-forth competition between two athletes in a matchup that was also an inspiration for O'Neal in the creation of the show.