Most centers struggled to contain NBA legend Shaquille O?Neal during his time in the league. With his size, power, and unreal athleticism, O’Neal was a force to be reckoned with. He wreaked havoc on both ends of the court and almost always dominated his opponents. Teams had to double or triple-team him to have a chance at stopping him. O?Neal knew teams would resort to double-teaming him and he was proud about that. So, when some teams decided to not do it and defend him with just one man, he took it personally, and it would not end well for his opponents.

However, there were some players who held their own against the Big Diesel. Interestingly, one such legend who once “tricked” Shaq recently shocked a lot of fans with his post-retirement look.

The Chinese Hall of Famer’s airport transformation

Shaquille O?Neal led the Los Angeles Lakers to three straight championships during his prime. He also won the NBA MVP award in 2000. Around this time, a new challenger arrived in the league in the form of 7’6″ Yao Ming from China. Even though Shaq is huge at 7’1″ and 325 lbs, he still looked smaller near the “Beast From the East”. Notably, the Houston Rockets selected Yao as the first pick of the 2002 NBA draft.

He hit the ground running and soon became one of the best centers in the league. It was a nightmare for opponents to score over the rim protector. Also, his duels with O’Neal were legendary. Notably, he once blocked Shaq thrice in a matter of seconds.

Yao returned to China after his retirement in 2011 and has mostly stayed out of the spotlight. However, he was recently spotted at an airport by fans.

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Interestingly, a lot of fans were shocked at the Rockets legend’s transformation. During his basketball career, Yao remained very lean for his height. However, after his retirement, he looks like he has gained a few extra pounds.

It is not unusual for NBA stars to gain weight after retiring, especially the centers. While some fans could not recognize the legend, most fans were happy for Yao as they felt he looked healthy.

Yao Ming once tricked Shaquille O?Neal

O?Neal revealed how Yao Ming tricked him.

Despite playing against him multiple times, the 4x NBA champion found out that Yao can speak English only after three years. O’Neal recounted that the Chinese center once hit a sweet fade away against similar to the legendary Hakeem Olajuwon.

Shaq said, “I was like, ?Hey Yao, nice move? and he said, ?Thanks my brother?. I said, ?You speak English??. He was like, ?Shaq, you never talk to me. Of course, I speak English!”?

O’Neal talked about this interesting incident during the 2016 Hall of Fame event when both Shaq and Yao were inducted. The 15x NBA All-Star was lost for words when he finally found out about that after three years.

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