Shaquille O’Neal on weight loss: 'I had that Charles Barkley retirement body'
NBA legends and Hall of Famers Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley were both larger-than-life figures during their playing days and currently work as "NBA on TNT" analysts. It appears O’Neal was inspired by Barkley to get in better shape ahead of the 2022-23 season.
O’Neal went viral last month when he shared an Instagram video that includes not-safe-for-work language and that shows the 50-year-old flashing some impressive abs considering his size and age:
"I like to create crazy motivation," O’Neal explained about his latest physical transformation during an appearance on the "Impaulsive" podcast with YouTube personality Logan Paul, according to Jenna Lemoncelli of the New York Post. "I was looking at myself and I had that Charles Barkley retirement body. I didn’t want my stomach to be over the belt anymore. So I was just like, 'Let me go ahead and get slim.' After that [picture] went viral, now I’ve got to live up to it."
Barkley was affectionately known as "the Round Mound of Rebound" during his playing days and has openly discussed his weight over the years, per outlets such as The Spun and The Shadow League.
"I was 401 pounds. Now I’m 365," O’Neal added during the podcast episode. "I’m trying to take it back to 345. I want to have muscles everywhere, and I want to do an underwear ad with my sons [for] Fruit of the Loom, baby."
While such jokes can make one chuckle, O’Neal got serious when discussing his overall health and his previous use of painkillers.
"Certain days when I couldn’t move, I just popped one or two, just to get me going. But I’m off that now," he said. "I had to really get checked out. When they hit you with that three-letter word that starts with D and ends with E, it changes stuff up."
Here's wishing O’Neal all the best on his latest fitness journey.
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