Retroactive Shaq question

[Ed Monix]

I was too young to have watch Shaq through his youth and his prime but I was hoping someone who was able to follow his career closely could answer this question: Did Shaq do himself and his career a disservice by bulking up so much after he left Orlando Magic?

When I see highlights of Magic Shaq he is so mobile, especially defensively, but when he gets to L.A he becomes almost a bodybuilder. Obviously someone has advised him to do this, but it makes me wonder if his career was cut short because of this change. Being that heavy would have taken a huge toll on his body and obviously his body began to break down during this period and by his early 30's he was never the same player.

I recall a former teammate saying that Phil Jackson wanted Shaq with more weight because of the physical approach the opposition took on Shaq, but for me this approach reminds me of the neighbour escalation theory. The theory is if someone is feuding with a neighbour, when you bring out a weapon like a baseball bat, your neighbour will go out and buy a knife, you'll respond with a bigger knife or a gun, then he gets an semi-automatic gun ect. My point being that by making Shaq so physically huge, other teams had to counter by getting their centres to bulk up too and get them to behave even more dirtier then before.

Does anyone have good memory of Shaq's career and thoughts on this theory?

[Kiorrik]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUVnObpACCI

Answer from Kobe.

[Ed Monix]

[Ed Monix]

Here’s a timeline of Shaq’s listed weight over the past 30 years.

1987 (HS junior): 250
1991 (LSU College): 294
1992 (Rookie Season in Orlando): 301
1999 (Lakers): 340
2002 (Lakers): 380
2003 (Lakers) 345
2004 (Lakers): 370
2005 (Heat): 320
2010 (Celtics): 345

[Ed Monix]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUVnObpACCI

Answer from Kobe.

Kobe has had that argument about every player, his work ethic was probably one of hardest in history, but that doesn't mean it's right for everyone. Some players would suffer mental burnout doing what he did and perhaps even physical injury.

Kobe has also stated that in 2000-2002, Shaq trained like a 'beast' but that was when he put on the most amount of muscle. What I am saying is with today's level of sports science, there was no way they would have allowed Shaq to put that amount of stress on his bones and muscles. Look at Kareem's longevity of his career and how lean his muscles were, even Karl Malone who was a known gym junkie, had a playing weight of 256.

Shaquille O'Neal's elite phase of his career was essentially over by 30.

[Kiorrik]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUVnObpACCI

Answer from Kobe.

Kobe has had that argument about every player, his work ethic was probably one of hardest in history, but that doesn't mean it's right for everyone. Some players would suffer mental burnout doing what he did and perhaps even physical injury.

Kobe has also stated that in 2000-2002, Shaq trained like a 'beast' but that was when he put on the most amount of muscle. What I am saying is with today's level of sports science, there was no way they would have allowed Shaq to put that amount of stress on his bones and muscles. Look at Kareem's longevity of his career and how lean his muscles were, even Karl Malone who was a known gym junkie, had a playing weight of 256.

Shaquille O'Neal's elite phase of his career was essentially over by 30.

We'll see. Zion's gonna be a good indication of what Shaq's weight woulda done, I reckon.

[Ed Monix]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUVnObpACCI

Answer from Kobe.

Kobe has had that argument about every player, his work ethic was probably one of hardest in history, but that doesn't mean it's right for everyone. Some players would suffer mental burnout doing what he did and perhaps even physical injury.

Kobe has also stated that in 2000-2002, Shaq trained like a 'beast' but that was when he put on the most amount of muscle. What I am saying is with today's level of sports science, there was no way they would have allowed Shaq to put that amount of stress on his bones and muscles. Look at Kareem's longevity of his career and how lean his muscles were, even Karl Malone who was a known gym junkie, had a playing weight of 256.

Shaquille O'Neal's elite phase of his career was essentially over by 30.

We'll see. Zion's gonna be a good indication of what Shaq's weight woulda done, I reckon.

I think Zion's weighs MORE than Shaq in relation to their heights.

I believe Shaq is 7'0 and was 300 pounds at the same age, where as Zion is 6'6 and weighs 287 pounds. This is a huge red flag for his career and New Orleans should be pressing him to lose weight. Zion's comparison should be Charles Barkley, who is roughly the same height and during his prime weighed 250 pounds.

[gouki88]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUVnObpACCI

Answer from Kobe.

Kobe has had that argument about every player, his work ethic was probably one of hardest in history, but that doesn't mean it's right for everyone. Some players would suffer mental burnout doing what he did and perhaps even physical injury.

Kobe has also stated that in 2000-2002, Shaq trained like a 'beast' but that was when he put on the most amount of muscle. What I am saying is with today's level of sports science, there was no way they would have allowed Shaq to put that amount of stress on his bones and muscles. Look at Kareem's longevity of his career and how lean his muscles were, even Karl Malone who was a known gym junkie, had a playing weight of 256.

Shaquille O'Neal's elite phase of his career was essentially over by 30.

We'll see. Zion's gonna be a good indication of what Shaq's weight woulda done, I reckon.

I think Zion's weighs MORE than Shaq in relation to their heights.

I believe Shaq is 7'0 and was 300 pounds at the same age, where as Zion is 6'6 and weighs 287 pounds. This is a huge red flag for his career and New Orleans should be pressing him to lose weight. Zion's comparison should be Charles Barkley, who is roughly the same height and during his prime weighed 250 pounds.

Zion is down to 265. Still huge, but more reasonable

[pearljammer10]

Shaq bulked up after leaving the Magic, became arguably the most dominant player to every play the game and immediately won 3 championship in LA in the process.

I’m not sure we can nitpick those results.

[Walker Wiggle]

The game was different then. You didn’t need a mobile center like you do today. LA Shaq was completely unstoppable down low. He would bulldoze his way to the basket and even the biggest, strongest guys in the league would get run over.

[Big333223]

I recall a former teammate saying that Phil Jackson wanted Shaq with more weight because of the physical approach the opposition took on Shaq,

This is what I heard also. The bulk was intentional.

But that's not an answer to your question. IMO, he would've been better off a little slimmer. He was still going to be bigger, heavier, stronger than everyone else but his body probably would've held up better and allowed him to play more games, be a bit more versatile and thus be even better than he was.

There's no way to know, obviously, but there does seem to be a consensus that Shaq never reached his potential. Maybe he could've at a more optimal weight.

[Who]

Shaq was more dynamic physically at the lower weight which allowed him to do more on defense & rebounding wise. Unfortunately, he lacked the commitment to fulfill that talent so that added dynamism did not amount to much.

[Celtics4ever]

Most guy would kill to have Shaq's career.

[timpiker]

Shaq was a bull in a China shop and got away with charging fouls all the time.  Just like Jordan's travelling...the NBA changed their rules for the almighty $. 

[slamtheking]

Shaq was a bull in a China shop and got away with charging fouls all the time.  Just like Jordan's travelling...the NBA changed their rules for the almighty $.

100% this.

anyone who watched Shaq with a critical eye could see how much the refs let him get away with offensive fouls and traveling.   he'd bulldoze through all defenders which many times was clearly an offensive foul yet the refs would almost always call a defensive foul.  couple that with the extra foot shuffling in the post and that's what helped him get to the point of 'unstoppable'.   

There's no denying he was the dominant center in the game at the time and he had an immense amount of talent but he was gifted a free reign on the court to do whatever he wanted by the refs/league and he really didn't need that.  takes away from his legacy IMO.  When Jordan initially retired (another recipient of very generous officiating), the league needed another standard bearer and Shaw became that showcase for the league so he was allowed to play by the Jordan Rules very early in his career.  Lebron is the latest example of the league's star getting that treatment.