How tall is Shaquille O’Neal, commonly known as Shaq, actually? If his height helped a lot in his career as a professional basketball player?
There is really no denying that Shaquille O’Neal is a true NBA legend. His physical appearance was powerful enough to outmatch any player in the match, making him an utter and total superpower on the field. For the brighter part of 10 years, it was assumed that the iconic Lakers center was generally taller than 7 feet (approx. 213 cm).
On the opposite side of the spectrum, Shaq has currently clarified that all statistical methods and record books were incorrect. So, Shaq isn’t 7 feet tall? If yes, what is Shaquille O’Neal’s real height? Let’s find out in this blog post.
Who is Shaq?
Shaquille Rashaun O’Neal, also widely recognized as Shaq O’Neal or Shaq, is a retired professional basketballer from the United States of America who presently works as a sports consultant on the tv series known as Inside the NBA. Shaq is popularly considered as one of the biggest and best basketball players in the history of the National Basketball Association (popularly known as as the NBA).
In addition, Shaq was among the NBA’s heaviest players, weighing 325 (approx. 147 kg) and standing 7 feet 1 inch (around 216 cm). Shaq continued to play for 6 different teams during his 19-year NBA professional life.
Shaq was brought into the world on March 6, 1972. His hometown is in Newark, New Jersey. Accordingly, Joseph Toney and Lucille O’Neal are Shaq’s parents. In particular, Shaq was brought up in Newark by his mom Lucille. In addition, Phillip A. Harrison, Shaq’s stepdad, also raised him in San Antonio, Texas. Shaq also experienced a rough upbringing.
In particular, his parents filed a divorce when O’Neal was only 2 years old, and Shaq, as a result, was brought up by a single mom with limited financial resources. He did grow up in housing estates and had to dress in second-hand garments.
Despite this, Shaq O’Neal exceeded expectations in football, track, and basketball at Robert G. Cole High School in San Antonio, gaining multiple awards, such as Mr. Basketball of Texas. A few universities even tried to recruit him, such as the University of Kentucky and Louisiana State University (also known as LSU).
Shaq, however, enrolled at LSU with the school’s basketball scholarship. Because of his academic issues, O’Neal had to miss his sophomore year. Shaq helped lead the LSU Tigers basketball team to the NCAA Division I grand finals in 1991, in which they were defeated by the Duke Blue Devils. After that, Shaq decided to forego his remaining three years of university enrollment and announce for the 1992 NBA official draft.
Shaq was chosen first, generally speaking, by the Orlando Magic in the official NBA draft in 1992. In addition, Shaq successfully established himself as among the league’s leading players, gaining the NBA Rookie of the Year Award between 1992 and 1993.
In addition, Shaq O’Neal steadily improved, and in 1996, O’Neal became a member of the men’s basketball team of the United States of America that earned an Olympic gold medal. From 1999 to 2000, Shaq was also named NBA MVP.
Shaq agreed to sign a complimentary agreement with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000. Between 2000 and 2002, Shaq led the Lakers to 3 straight NBA titles. After that, Shaq was marketed to the Miami Heat in 2003, and he did win his 4th NBA title in 2006.
Shaq’s Profile Summary
| Real name/birth name | Shaquille Rashaun O’Neal |
| Nicknames | Warrior, Shaq Daddy, The Big Aristotle, Diesel, and Shaq |
| Birth date | March 6, 1972 |
| Birth place | Newark, New Jersey, the United States of America |
| Zodiac Sign | Pisces |
| Nationality | American |
| School | Cole High School;Louisiana State University |
| Mother’s name | Lucille O’Neal |
| Father’s name | Joe Toney |
| Siblings’ names | Sisters: Ayesha O’Neal and Lateefah O’NealBrother: Jamal O’Neal |
| Wifes | Shaunie O’Neal (married between 2002 and 2010) (have 4 kids but divorced) |
| Kids | Daughters: Me’arah Sanaa and Amirah SanaaSons: Shaqir Rashaun and Shareef Rashaun |
| Career | Professional Basketball Player |
| Years active | From 1992 to 2011 |
| Height: | 7 feet 1 inch (approx. 2.16m) |
| Weight | 325 lbs (approx. 147 kg) |
| Shoe size | 22 US |
Shaquille O’Neal Uncovers That He is Actually Shorter Than Most People Still Believe
Shaquille O’Neal, a 50-year-old basketball player, was previously the Lakers’ most expensive attribute. After being purchased for a record cost, he warranted his purchase by making history for the brand alongside Kobe Bryant.
Nevertheless, the NBA’s official site has interpreted for ages that Shaquille O’Neal’s real height is 7 feet 1 inch (approx. 216 cm), and his weight measures around 325 lbs (roughly 147 kg). This is not the type of scenario. When questioned about being especially in comparison to Giannis Antetokounmpo’s real height, commonly known as the 15-time, All-Star decided to make an unexpected discovery.
When people are referring to Shaquille O’Neal, they generally refer to him as the 7-foot-tall huge. In the meantime, Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo stands 6 feet 11 inches (approx. 211 cm). Besides that, on social networking sites, the 27-year-old attempted to claim to be taller than Shaq.
Obviously, on The Big Podcast With Shaquille O’Neal, The Big Aristotle was kept asking about that. Shaquille responded with an unprecedented discovery to the globe.
When being asked about Giannis’ claim that he obviously stands taller than Shaquille O’Neal, the four-time NBA champion responded, “He’s pretty up here anyway.” “First and foremost, he is not 7 feet 1 inch. He is 6 feet 11 inches. And he just pretended to be 7 feet 1 inch. And 7 feet 1 inch just made it sound, and you know, just right.
In that particular instance, the Greek weirdo is really not taller than Shaquille O’Neal. Having said that, he is at least as tall. At any rate, unless we are to trust Shaquille O’Neal.
Do you honestly believe Shaquille O’Neal is not really seven feet 1 inch (or 216 cm) tall? Is it actually feasible that after all of these years, all the documents are utterly false? In any case, now is their opportunity to alter their figures, and what better verification could there be than that of the guy himself?
So, How Tall is Shaq, Exactly?
Shaquille O’Neal was frequently taller than normal as a kid. In particular, Shaq already stood 6 feet 6 inches (approx. 198 cm) as a sophomore in high school. Because of Shaq’s towering height at that age and proclivity for mischief, his parents supported him in taking part in sports such as basketball so that he could shape his traits into something optimistic, according to JRank.
Shortly after, Shaq began the professional life that would propel him to the status of basketball lore. As such, how tall is Shaq right now? He stands 7 feet 1 inch tall. (For those wondering how tall Shaq is in cm, the answer is exactly 215.9 cm.)
Even for a professional basketball player, Shaq O’Neal is still on the tall and large side, but he is, in fact, not the NBA’s tallest player. Noticeably, retired NBA player Yao Ming stands about 5 inches (approx. 12.7 cm) taller than Shaq at 7 feet 6 inches (approx. 228 cm). The headline of the tallest player in the NBA, nevertheless, must go to two other guys who stand 7 feet 7 inches (approx. 231 cm) tall, which are Manute Bol of South Sudan and Gheorghe Muresan of Romania.
Having said that, Shaq is not only towering, but he is also really bulky. Accordingly, O’Neal’s current weight is estimated at around 350 lbs (approx. 159 kg), but according to Yahoo! Sports, Shaq was once up to 415 lbs (approx. 188 kg) during the COVID-19 global pandemic.
In reality, Shaq O’Neal recently announced on The Big Podcast With Shaq’s “The Big Zookeeper” ep that his enforcing shape scares leopards. In particular, he stated that each wildlife park around the globe goes insane. They try to get the goddamned thing out and battle him.
Zoo Miami’s director of communications, Ron Magill, affirmed O’Neal’s statements. Ron Magill really did get frightened, and he looked at O’Neal and thought that O’Neal was going to take his girls away, and he tightened up and tried to get up and made himself appear as large as possible. However, at the final moment of the day, he admits defeat. He understood who was in charge.
Male adult Eastern moorland orangutans, the global’s biggest primate species, weigh anywhere between 450 and 500 lbs (approx. 204 – 227 kg), as per A-Z Animals. However, they were rarely taller than 6 feet (roughly 183 cm). It is basically more than a foot (approx. 31 cm) shorter than O’Neal’s 7-foot-1-inch towering height.
Shaq is More Than Just Mass
Shaquille O’Neal’s real height was crucial to his game, but it was not his only additional benefit. Shaq also had a longer reach than most other centers and forwards on his team as well. In particular, Shaq’s arms were 7 feet 7 inches (approx. 231 cm) across, offering him an advantage over his competitors.
Each NBA huge man has exceptionally long arms. Nevertheless, the majority of them possess arms that are either at or slightly longer than their real height. For instance, guards are usually the only ones with large differences in height and arm span. And Shaq O’Neal was also an outlier in that regard.
His arm-to-body proportion is large for any position. However, it is especially advantageous for a center. O’Neal’s reach not only allowed him to be more innovative when defending, but it also allowed him to play far more efficient defense.
Opponents lacked the resilience to confront Shaquille O’Neal. They had to circumvent him instead. Because his arm reach was exceptionally long, he was able to defend or make tackles that might ordinarily be incredibly simple buckets for resisting both centers and forwards.
In addition, O’Neal’s arm reach aided him on the aggressive end of the court. In particular, Shaq depended heavily on his strength, but he was also an expert on post moves. Against those other tall sportsmen, being capable of flipping the ball all over defenders helped a lot.
Are Shaquille O’Neal’s members of the family also large and tall, just like him?
Since Shaquille O’Neal is A Really Huge Man, It Is No Surprise That His Members Of The Family Are Also Large
Having said that, Shaq’s parents are not as tall as him; however, they are still taller than medium, according to How They Play. In particular, both Shaq’s dad and mom are 6 feet 2 inches (approx. 188 cm) tall.
In the meantime, Shaquille’s kids are also quite tall. He has 2 basketball-playing sons, including Shaqir and Shareef. Shaquir, who is in his mid-adolescence, is around 6 feet 5 inches (approx. 196 cm) tall. Shareef, who is currently in his early twenties, stands 6 feet 11 inches (approx. 185 cm) tall. Myles O’Neal, O’Neal’s another kid, is a wishful model who stands 6 feet 2 inches.
In addition, Sha has three other daughters, the heights of whom are unidentified. And yet, based on photographs of the entire family, all of Shaquille’s daughters look taller than the typical.
Shaq’s girlfriends and partners are typically tall. Shaunie Nelson, Shaq’s ex-wife, is said to be 5 feet 11 inches (approx. 180 cm). O’Neal’s current girlfriend, actress Annie Ilonzeh, stands 5 feet 7 inches (approx. 170 cm).
Intriguingly, Shaq was in a relationship with Nicole Alexander, an American television actress, and TV personality, who is just 5 feet 2 inches (approx. 157 cm) tall, according to ABC News. That meant Shaquille O’Neal towered nearly 2 feet above her.
The Complete Package
Considering the body dimensions listed above, it is straightforward to see why Shaquille O’Neal was so unique. In reality, O’Neal was an athletic superpower with a huge frame that relocated effortlessly through space. Shaq was also incredibly fast, which players his dimensions purely can not really fit.
In addition, Shaq’s long wingspan offered him more flexibility on both ends of the ball, and his muscle accompanied his remarkable height flawlessly. Being large is just one thing; understanding how to utilize that large frame to win the ball is quite something more.
There seem to have been numerous dominant centers in NBA history. Having said that, none of them possessed Shaquille’s raw strength, nor could they keep moving such a large body so seamlessly all around the field.
So, How Big is Shaquille, Accurately?
Despite being mentioned at 325 lbs (approx. 147 kg), Shaq certainly weighed greater than that at points of time all through his playing career, according to the eye exam. According to a few reports, Shaquille O’Neal weighed anywhere from 330 to 350 lbs (approx. 149 to 159 kg), and Yahoo! mentioned that Shaq weighed more than 400 lbs (roughly181 kg) during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Men’s Health featured O’Neal in December 2021, claiming that Shaq wanted to get in the best possible shape of his time on earth.
Shaq was actually considered legendary for putting himself into frame during an NBA game, frequently arriving at the beginning of the season out of form and transforming himself into the frame by the moment the postseason began (also known as one of the so many things Shaq and Kobe Bryant argued firmly to one another).
The latter is, needless to say, a reference to Charles Barkley, commonly known as his buddy and coworker on Inside the NBA. The two frequently riff on a variety of subjects, such as their body mass. According to reports, Shaq usually wears a size 22 shoe and mostly had trouble finding a pair of sneakers that perfectly fit his feet when he was younger and still getting bigger, bigger, and bigger.
Accordingly, Shaquille O’Neal does have a big heart, as made evident by his numerous charitable activities and efforts to assist others, such as purchasing shoes for a present adolescent facing the very same issues he did: attempting to find and be able to afford shoes that perfectly fit.
Which Athletes Have the Same Weight and Height as Shaquille?
Were you aware that just approximately 2,800 individuals on the planet stand at least 7 feet (approx. 213 cm) tall? That implies that just around one in every 3 million folks in the globe is 5 feet tall or taller. When compared to the NBA presently, that may appear to be a tiny number.
Even though the NBA is widely recognized for its shape, size, and athletic ability – far more so than in any other sort of sports – athletes at 7 feet can be found in other sports as well. In reality, almost all sports have stood at least a seven-footer at some stage in time, and it is becoming increasingly common by the year.
Shaquille O’Neal’s real height and weight are commonly known as 7 feet 1 inch (approx. 216 cm) and 325 lbs (approx. 147 kg), respectively, but what other sportsmen can correlate? There are numerous selections to pick from, but we’ll focus on 20 that is comparable to Shaquille’s size. Let’s get rolling.
The Athlete’s Share the Same Height as Shaquille O’Neal
Rudy Gobert, as some of you might know, is the Utah Jazz’s 7 feet 1 inch and 258-lbs center. He was selected with the 27th overall draft pick by the Denver Nuggets in 2013. Having said that, Gobert was fast traded to the Jazz on the overall pick day. Utah made a good trade because Rudy had a career-defining season in his 3rd year.
Aleksey Kazakov stands 7 feet 1 inch tall and weighs 225 pounds. Even though volleyball players are typically tall, few can claim to be as tall as Kazakov. Aleksey symbolized Russia’s national volleyball team after being birthed in Naberezhnye Chelny, Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic.
Mohammad Irfan is a great Pakistani cricketer from Burewala, Punjab. His actual height is the same as Shaq, at 7 feet 1 inch, and his weight is around 231 lbs (roughly 105 kg). Irfan symbolized Pakistan in T20, ODI, and Test matches throughout his 10-year professional life, ranging from 2010 to 2019. Irfan is regarded as the tallest cricket player worldwide and has a first-rate collective memory.
Paul Wight, commonly known as Big Show, is a pro wrestler who has worked for the WCW, WWE, and also, most lately, the AEW. Paul is mainly remembered for his moment with the WWE between 1999 and 2021. Wight is also a 7-time WWE and WCW record holder.
Big Show, as some of you might know, has been described as standing between 7 feet (around 213 cm) and 7 feet 2 inches (around 218 cm) and weighing from 380 to 500 lbs. In 2021, Big Show left WWE to join AEW. In addition, he has starred in a variety of movies and television shows aside from professional wrestling, such as Psych, Star Trek, and Waterboy.
Shaquille O’Neal towers over these athletes
The Sacramento Kings selected Hassan Whiteside in the 2nd round of the 2010 NBA Draft. After just 2 ineffective seasons with the Kings, he decided to spend his next two years trying to play elsewhere in the NBA prior to actually rejoining the league in 2014 with the Miami Heat. He stands 7 feet tall, which is the same as O’Neal and weighs around 265 lbs or 120 kg.
Brook Lopez was recruited 10th ultimately by the New Jersey Nets in 2008, and he ended up spending the next 9 seasons with the group before it was renamed the Brooklyn Nets. Throughout that time, Brook was a 20-point scorer on a regular basis, a fruitful post player on both ends, and a solid defender.
The center started spending a season with the Los Angeles Lakers prior to actually joining the Milwaukee Bucks, in which he is now in his 4th season. Lopez, having said that, doesn’t score the way he used to, but he is still a great reason why the Bucks did win their very 1st title in 2021.
The Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid is an excellent center, weighing 280 lbs (approx. 127 kg) and standing 7 feet (approx. 213 cm). This makes Joel an inch shorter than Shaq. He was selected third overall by the team in 2014, but he did miss his very 1st two distinct seasons because of a serious foot injury. Joel decided to make his professional debut in 2016 and has ever since equaled over 20 points each match.
Nikolai Valuev, as some of you might know, is a former professional boxer from Leningrad, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union. There was nobody taller or bulkier than Nikolai when it came to global heavyweight champions. He was a 2-time WBA title holder who fought from 1993 to 2009.
Richard Metcalfe was a Scottish global rugby player who stood 7 feet tall and weighed 310 pounds. His high ranking professional life lasted between 1995 and 2003 when Richard was released because of a serious knee injury. As a consequence, Metcalfe decided to step down and call it quits on his rugby career.
Stefan Struve, widely recognized as Skyscraper, stood 7 feet (the same as Shaq’s height) and weight 265 lbs or 120 kg. He is a well-known kickboxer and mixed martial artist from Beverwijk, Netherlands. Stefan is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt which became the most towering fighter to ever contend in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (popularly known as UFC). Accordingly, Stefan retired in 2021.
Glenn Jacobs, also renowned as Kane, is a 7-foot-3, 325-lbs former professional wrestler who was a regular feature during the WWE’s Attitude Era. Jacobs was also known as a 3-time champion of the world and a 12-time WWE Raw Tag Team Championship.
Nikola Jokic is a great Denver Nuggets center. His height is 284 lbs (approx. 129 kg), with a height of 6 feet 1 inch, which is 1 foot shorter than Shaquille O’Neal. The team selected him in the 2nd round of the NBA Draft in 2014, and he has improved dramatically since then. In addition, Nikola is a triple-double who does more things on the ground than most centers. And now you know that he is truthfully a floor general, for those who don’t know.
Aaron Sandilands is a retired pro rugby player coming from Mount Barker, Western Australia, who stands 6 feet 11 inches (making him around 2 inches shorter than Shaq) and weighs 262 pounds. From 2003 to 2019, Aaron was the tallest player in AFL collective memory, playing for the Fremantle Football Club. He was challenging me to put down.
Zdeno Chara is a great New York Islander and pro hockey player. Despite being a few inches shorter and weighing less than Shaquille O’Neal, we wanted to have included him since he is the world’s highest hockey player in NHL historical record and is also taller than his opponents.
John Isner is a pro tennis player who stands 6 feet 10 inches and weighs 245 pounds. He presently operates in a highly competitive Men’s ATP tour. In fact, he is a little bit shorter and heavier than Shaquille, but Isner, just the same as Chara in the NHL, ranks among the tallest professional tennis players in ATP history. He skyscrapers over the majority of the field.
We’d like to acknowledge another one of the global’s tallest tennis players, Reilly Opelka. 6 feet 11 inches and weighs around 225 lbs or 102 kg. He is just 24 years old but a professional tennis player. Despite his greatest ATP tour score of No. 19 in 2021, Opelka is in his 6th year on the field trip.
Shaquille O’Neal is Shorter Than These Big Athletes
Choi Hong-man, as some of you might know, is a famous South Korean professional kickboxer, MMA fighter, and Ssireum wrestler. His weight measured from 310 (approx. 140 lbs) and 390 lbs (approx. 177 lbs) across the whole of his professional life. To his Asian fans, he is widely recognized as Korean Colossus, Korean Monster, Techno Goliath, and Che Man.
The NBA is widely recognized for its length and weight as well, but the same cannot be said for the WNBA. In reality, just one player in WNBA heritage has ever stood taller than 7 feet – Margo Dydek. She is a pro basketball player from Poland, standing 7 feet 2 inches (approx. 218 cm) tall and weighing 223 pounds (101 kg). In 1998, she made her professional debut.
Paulo César da Silva, known colloquially as Giant Silva, is among the world’s tallest pro wrestlers. Giant Silva worked as a heel and a face for the Hustle, New Japan Pro-Wrestling, WWF, and other organizations from 1998 to 2010. He was, without a doubt, a giant.
Giant Silva weighed 385 lbs (roughly 174 kg) and stood 7 feet 2 inches (which is 1 inch taller than Shaq), and he excelled at more than just wrestling. Silva started playing pro basketball for Brazil’s national squad in the 1980s and was a reserve center in the 1988 Olympics. What’s more, Silva even had a 2-6 record as a skilled MMA fighter.
André René Roussimoff, more commonly known by his title ‘André the Giant,’ is an established professional wrestler. Vince McMahon enlisted the 540-lbs and 7-foot-4-inch big beast of a guy to participate in the World Wide Wrestling Foundation in the 1970s.
So, which Athletes Were Taller and Weighed More Than Shaquille O’Neal?
Shaquille O’Neal is much bigger than life in many more directions than one, yet that doesn’t really make him the biggest sportsman to ever walk the earth’s surface. In reality, Shaq is dwarfed by some of the greatest athletes who have ever lived. It is basically hard to comprehend that they make Shaquille appear so small.
Suleiman Ali Nashnush (standing 8 feet 1 inch), Sun Ming Ming (7 feet 9 inches tall), Manute Bol (whose height is 7 feet 7 inches), Gheorghe Muresan (is also 7 feet 7 inches), Jorge Gonzalez (stands 7 feet 6 inches), Yao Ming (share the same height of 7 feet 6 inches), Shawn Bradley (is also 7 feet 6 inches), Slavko Vranes (stand 7 feet 5 inches), Pavel Podkolzin (is also 7 feet 5 inches), and Sim Bhullar (also stands 7 feet 5 inches) are some of the tallest sportsmen that are also taller than Shaq.
Shaq’s 2022 Net Worth?
Shaquille O’Neal is thought to be worth $400 million as of this blog post. That is, in fact, a large sum, but it’s not shocking given Shaquille was among the NBA’s greatest dominant players for 20 years.
Shaq was also among the league’s largest players, and he took full advantage of his strength and size as well. He won 4 NBA titles, was the 3-time NBA Finals MVP, and was also a 15-time NBA All-Star. His achievement on the field resulted in a slew of sponsorship money and other business deals. Besides, Shaq has appeared in films, published rap albums, and even launched his own shoe line.
Every one of these endeavors has contributed to Shaq’s remarkable net worth. In fact, he is still looking for ways to make money now that Shaq has decided to retire from basketball.
Shaquille O’Neal is currently a studio consultant for TNT’s Inside the NBA. What’s more, Shaq is even a minority owner of the Sacramento Kings and also a supporter of the Papa John’s pizza chain’s board of managers. Shaq shows no signs of slowing down with all of his ventures and investments. So, it is reasonable to assume that Shaq’s net worth will keep going to rise in the coming years.
Final Thoughts
Shaquille O’Neal is not only big but also massive. His actual height of 7 feet 1 inch (approx. and arm span both did help him play well in the post, and his size elevated him from simply another bigger center to becoming one of the team’s largest men.
