Shaquille O’Neal says he ‘crept up to around 415 pounds’ during the pandemic

Los Angeles Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal recently spoke with Jewel Wicker of Men’s Health and was very candid about a variety of topics.

The Hall of Famer explained that his weight got up to around 415 pounds at one point during the pandemic. He added that he wants to get down to 350 pounds by the time his birthday rolls around in March of 2022, explaining that he wants to post a shirtless photo on Instagram to celebrate.

“During the pandemic, his weight crept up to around 415 pounds,” wrote Wicker. “(His playing weight was 325.) He typically trains four days a week now for about an hour, blasting through 20 minutes of cardio and banging out 40 minutes of strength work. He wants to slim down to 350 pounds and be ripped enough to ‘go topless’ and post an Instagram thirst trap for his 50th birthday in March. His fitness goal, he elaborates, is to make sure his stomach doesn’t hang over his belt.”

O’Neal’s size during his playing days was a huge factor in his dominance. The big man finished his legendary career with 15 All-Star selections and four NBA titles.

He averaged 23.7 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game throughout his lengthy career. He knocked down 58.2 percent of his shots from the field. Of his four NBA titles, three came with the Lakers. His other one came with the Miami Heat.

Although O’Neal’s playing days are over, NBA fans still get to watch him pretty frequently. He has become a fan favorite as an analyst thanks to his goofy personality.