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Having Suffered Rare Disease and Crippled Joints, Shaquille O’Neal Gets Blown Away by 21YO Caitlin Clark’s Offseason Shenanigans

Published 07/31/2023, 12:58 AM EDT

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At 7’1 and over 300 pounds, Shaquille O’Neal was the most dominant player in NBA history. While this size and build helped him dominate on the court and cement his legacy as a Laker Legend, it was also the main reason for Shaq’s many injuries. It was only after retirement that Diesel realized the negative impact that his frame had on his career.

Nonetheless, that does not stop him from admiring NCAA superstar Caitlin Clark’s offseason training. Missing her first championship by just one win it looks like the 21-year-old is adamant to win a NCAA title before entering WNBA.

Shaquille O’Neal in awe of Caitlin Clark’s offseason training

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It’s safe to say Caitlin Clark is the next big thing in basketball. Shooting the lights out in the last NCAA season it looks like the 21-year-old is not planning stopping any soon. Her excellence for the Iowa Hawkeyes helped her bag the ‘Best Female College Athlete’ at the ESPYs a few weeks back. 

via Imago

All the appreciation and recognition have only boosted Clark more. In a post from a sports media house, the Iowa star shared her offseason training which included a total of 300 hundred shots. 100 from the free throw line, 100 from mid-range, and 100 from the three-point line. 

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Clark is often compared to Warriors superstar Stephen Curry for her knack of scoring three pointers. Looks like the workouts are also pretty similar. However, what’s surprising is that Shaquille O’Neal shared this workout on his Instagram story. Indeed, Clark has dropped jaws with this intense training and one of them is the 4-time champion. 

 

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It looks like Big Diesel is slightly regretting the efforts he skipped during his career!

Why might Shaq regret looking at Clark’s workout? 

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It’s a known fact that the 2000 MVP had to face several injuries during his career. Especially with the Lakers. Shaq was often called out for his ‘laziness’ to train, even by his best buddy Kobe Bryant. However, it looks like Shaq is understanding the importance now. 

In 2003 Shaq weighed 370 pounds. Although this massive physique has helped him dominate on the court, it has also led to unexpected injuries. As revealed by his trainer, every time Shaq landed after a jump, his body would have to sustain four times his weight. This is the major reason which led to his knee injuries. 

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Watch this story: “50lbs lighter Shaquille O’Neal ditches his 150 restaurants for his $3,000,000,000 worth company”

Shaq managed to take painkillers before games in order to continue playing. However, now, he might regret not putting the offseason work like Clark during his career. What are your thoughts? 

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Written by:

Rohan Dharmalingam

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Rohan Dharmalingam is an NBA content writer at EssentiallySports. He has been following the NBA for a decade now and specializes in covering trade rumors and reports on the ever-changing trade market. The wizardry of Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry made him fall in love with the game like millions worldwide.
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Edited by:

Sameen Nawathe