Shaquille O’Neal recently shared insights into his rigorous offseason training routine during his NBA career…
Revealing that grappling played a significant role in boosting his conditioning for basketball.
Speaking on the “Pound for Pound” podcast, the basketball legend discussed how incorporating martial arts was helpful for his conditioning levels:
When people say: “He’s out of shape right now”, [that’s when] I didn’t train wrestling.
When I started doing wrestling, that’s when I get tired.And then I said, you know what? I’m not gonna do no basketball.
All summer just doing that [grappling].
With four championships, three Finals MVPs, and 15 All-Star selections to his name, Shaq credits his offseason grappling training for contributing to his success on the court:
Then I came in and easily went through the championships.
He praised MMA as well:
You guys are probably the greatest athletes ever, because you have to run, jump, get hit, knock people out.
You guys are the greatest athletes.
Shaq also revealed that he once almost fought MMA legend Vitor Belfort in a street fight:
He grabbed me in the middle of the street. So in my mind, I’m about to mess him up because he’s little.
But he was nice: “No, no, no. My friend, my friend. I fight in the UFC. We have a fight.”He beat some 7-foot dude in overalls, and I had never seen a sport like that.
So I’ve been a fan ever since.
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