Shaquille O’Neal started in the NBA as a 7ft beast, who later became a giant, in its absolute sense, after adding some muscles and weight over the years. While that helped him stay dominant in the paint, it also led to frequent injuries, for which he was criticized. However, the Los Angeles Lakers legend never wanted to work out during the summer. On the latest episode of his show The Big Podcast, Shaq opened up about a few reasons, that kept him occupied in the off-season. 

Former NBA veteran JJ Redick joined the podcast and Shaq told him, “I never worked out in the summer. Who am I working out for? What we got to really worry about is Duncan. So I would get a lot of flack for not coming in shape, but my thing was it’s a long season. I’m going to work my way into shape.” This was not the main reason, however. 

Shaq added, “Especially when I started having kids, I thought it wasn’t fair to them that I’d be gone all the time. Gone nine months. So summertime, living in Orlando, our days were, wake up…go to the lake, Universal Studios, this and that. So that was my own. I took a lot of flack for it. But my mentality was for who, for what?”

Shaq wanted to use the entire summer for all of his six kids. However, body condition during the off-season is crucial to escape injuries. Especially during his time with the Miami Heat, Shaq was sidelined on a lot of occasions, which increased the frustration for the team. But, he was adamant about the decision. When Shaq started to doubt himself, he revealed that one person he always went to. 

Shaq throws light on a legendary NBA coach who helped him stick with his decision 

During his time with Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, Shaq was coached by Hall of Famer Phil Jackson, who coached Michael Jordan during his time with the Chicago Bulls. Jackson had a great relationship with his players. After Jordan, he helped Bryant and Shaq to succeed in the NBA. Shaq shared in the podcast, “When I was with Phil [Jackson], he told me don’t work out.” Surprising, isn’t it? 

Shaq continued, “Before I met Phil, that was my strategy anyway, but when I met him and he told me not to do, it was kind of a relief. That’s why, if you look at our Lakers championship, you see three different Shaq. You see skinny Shaq, medium Shaq, and the last Shaq was swollen.” Jackson gave Shaq the confidence to stick to his decision of not working out in the summer. Although it was controversial, the Big Diesel had his reasons to do it. 

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