7 Ft Giant Shaquille O’Neal Spent Months Training With MMA Fighters and Tried His Moves on Helpless Reporter

Published 05/31/2022, 8:15 PM EDT

Shaquille O’Neal once demonstrated his Mixed Martial Arts skills by putting ESPN.com reporter Michael Wallace in a submission choke. The NBA’s perennial Big Man had been practicing his MMA skills during the offseason while playing for the Miami Heat. So he decided to showcase his progress on one of the reporters on media day during the start of the Heat training camp.

In an article remembering Shaq’s amazing interactions with the media, Michael Wallace of ESPN.com remembers his encounters with the Big Man. Apart from MMA, Shaq was also interested in a variety of other things, like dance-offs, music, rapping, etc. In fact, he took pride in the diversity of his hobbies outside the court.

Shaquille O’Neal puts the reporter in submission choke

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Michael Wallace remembers how Shaq put him in a ‘Shaqmission’ choke during his days of covering the Miami Heat. Being put in a chokehold by a 7 feet 1 giant athlete has to be a nightmarish experience.

But fortunately, Wallace lives on to tell the tale, “There was even the time he showed up for media day at the start of Heat training camp announcing that he’d spent the entire offseason training with MMA fighters and tried to put me in a “Shaqmission” (submission) choke hold to prove how much he’d learned.”

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Wallace also emphasized on Shaq’s tremendous impact, not only on the basketball court but also on society in general. He will truly be remembered as a consummate entertainer.

Shaq’s love for MMA

In an interview with Ariel Helwani, Shaq opened up about his fascination for the sport of MMA. As a matter of fact, Shaq considers MMA to be the hardest sport in the world.

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In MMA, an athlete has to be mindful of a variety of moves from different sports and at the same time react to their opponent’s attacks. “MMA is the hardest sport because you work on every muscle,” Shaq said, “So try not getting a break and then somebody choking and hitting you, that was the hardest sport.”

The 4-time NBA champion also ascribed his championship wins to training in MMA and wrestling. It increased his stamina, focus, and ability to dominate the paint. It also helped him to find the proper balance to get a shot off while posting up against defenders.

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Written by:

Satagni Sikder is an NBA writer for EssentiallySports. He has a Master's degree in English from Jadavpur University, Kolkata, and has been following the NBA since 2017. Moreover, he supports the Dallas Mavericks, and unsurprisingly, Luka Doncic is his favorite player.

Edited by:

Arunaditya Aima

7 Ft Giant Shaquille O’Neal Spent Months Training With MMA Fighters and Tried His Moves on Helpless Reporter

Shaquille O’Neal puts the reporter in submission choke

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Shaq’s love for MMA