Shaquille O’Neal’s Great Grandfather’s Height Revealed: He Was Taller Than Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Other NBA Greats

Shaquille O’Neal and his time in the NBA were nothing less than legendary. Thanks to his huge frame and basketball skills like none other, Shaq dismantled the entire league.

Standing at a huge 7-foot-one frame and weighing around 325 lbs, Shaq went hand in hand with dominance. Interestingly enough, his great grandfather was as tall as him!

This explains Shaq’s physical traits! O’Neal revealed his grandfather’s height in the ‘Shaq Talks Back’ book in the second chapter. His grandfather happens to be taller than stars like stars like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.

Shaquille O’Neal talks about his genes

Ever wondered where Shaquille O’Neal got his physical gifts from? The 4 time NBA champion answered this question in his book, ‘Shaq Talks Back‘.

In the book, Shaq says, “My mother’s family was from Dublin, Georgia. My great-grandmother, Cillar O’Neal, got married in 1930 at the age of 15 to my great-grandfather,Hilton O’Neal, who was a farmer. How do I get to be 7’1″? I never met Hilton O’Neal but I was told he was 6’8″ or 6’9″ tall.”

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This explains his huge 7-foot-one inch frame! To put things into perspective, Hilton O’Neal is good enough to become a center in the NBA.

Is Shaq’s grand dad taller than Michael Jordan?

Michael Jordan might have had one of the greatest careers in NBA history, but he is nowhere near Shaq’s grand father in terms of height. While Hilton O’Neal had a height of around 6’8″ or 6’9″, MJ has a height of 6’5″ or 1.98 meters.

Hilton is also taller than Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant similarly; Kobe and Jordan have a similar physical frame, with Bryant being 6’5″ tall.

Interestingly, Shaq’s grand father comes nowhere close to the tallest NBA player currently. For the uninitiated, Tacko Fall is currently the tallest player in the NBA and he is 7-foot-6 inches tall.

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What is your favorite memory of Shaquille O’Neal? Let us know in the comments down below.