Lewis Hamilton. There isn’t a Motorsport fan who hasn’t heard of this man. Not only for his achievements in the sport but also for various reasons, the man is famous across the globe. To be more accurate, he is now Sir Lewis Hamilton as he received Knighthood last year from the Prince of Wales at the Windsor Castle.

Shaquille O’Neal. If you’re an NBA fan, he doesn’t need an introduction. If you’re not, you still won’t one, as he’s one of the most prolific figures in the sports industry in the United States. Known as ‘Big Shag’, the man is one of the greatest basketball players of all time.

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Basketball players are often known for their massive physique. Most of them are above 6 feet tall. Whereas for F1, height is not much of a concern. The average basketball player’s height is 6 feet 6 inches, whereas the tallest F1 driver who raced in the modern era, Justin Wilson, stood 6 feet 4 inches.

Last year’s COTA race saw the two legends come side by side. Even though they seem to be of the same height in a picture, that is nothing but an illusion. While the massive O’Neal is 7 feet 1 inch (2.16 meters) tall, the 2021 COTA runner-up is 5 feet 8.5 inches (1.74m) tall. That’s a massive difference of 1 foot 3.7 inches or 0.42 meters. What makes them appear of the same height is the fact that Lewis is standing on an elevated podium.

What led Lewis Hamilton and Shaquille O’Neal to stand side by side?

The duo met each other at last year’s Circuit of the Americas race in the United States. F1 was in the US for the 17th round of the 2021 season. The organizers invited O’Neal to be a part of the massive show post-race in COTA.

It was Max Verstappen who came on top in the United States. Lewis Hamilton was just a second behind when he finished in P2 ahead of Sergio Perez of Red Bull. Shaquille arrived in the paddock on a custom-made car and went to the podium to present the trio with their trophies for the race.

Interestingly, Shaquille is a DJ who plays at events. The NBA Hall of Famer turned DJ and played alongside the likes of Twenty-one pilots, Kool and the Gang, and Billy Joel. O’Neal also goes by the name DJ Diesel.

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Presently, apart from being a DJ, Shaquille is an analyst on the TNT show “Inside the NBA” and is also on the board of directors for Papa John’s Pizza.