Tom Brady Gets Shaquille O’Neal Talking on David Beckham, Weight Loss Desires and Much More

Shaquille O’Neal recently sat down with Tom Brady for a lengthy conversation. The duo talked about a variety of things including Shaq’s admiration for the NFL legend, his weight loss journey, competing with David Beckham, and more. To save you some precious time, we went through the whole episode and picked out the best parts that you would want to know about.

Here are some of the things that the two gentlemen discussed:

Shaquille O’Neal’s weight loss journey

Shaq is a giant, in more ways than one. However, the aspect that bothered him the most was the weight he had put on, especially post-retirement. Weighing around 400 lbs, the LA Lakers legend detailed what made him want to turn his life around. Shaq told Brady that he is very fond of sandwiches, and at one point was eating more than he could count. However, the calories soon piled up on him and it left him feeling dejected over it. Shaq said, “One day I went to the doctor and I had CBOTB”. Before you wonder if it’s something harmful that the Big Man had contracted, it’s not.

He took this opportunity to take a dig at his longtime friend Charles Barkley. Shaq elaborated on the acronym, “Charles Barkley Over The Belly Belt”. That’s precise and genius at the time same time. Shaq said that it was his wake-up call and since then he has lost around 50 lbs and now is in the 350 zone. The Big Man isn’t done yet as he aims to take it down to 325 lbs. If you want to know why? Shaq simply has the ambition, that he wants to take his shirt off on the beach, like Brady.

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What Shaq learned playing alongside Kobe Bryant

The late great Kobe Bryant has left a lasting impact on the world. The duo of Shaq and Kobe were arguably the best we’ll ever see in our lifetime. However, it was not smooth sailing for either of them when they played together. Being two alpha males in this sport, they were often in disagreement but still gave the league its last three-peat. Shaq explained what it was like playing alongside his little brother and people who have similar mentalities.

He said that disagreements will always be there but “once the respect leaves”, that’s where the trouble begins. Despite their disagreements, Shaq and Kobe always maintained a level of respect for one another. Maybe that’s why they were able to churn out results on the hardwood. Jim Gray is one of the hosts of the show alongside Brady and he took this opportunity to make a big revelation. Gray said that the Big Man used to call him “traitor Gray” because he believed the sportscaster took Kobe’s side. In the end, they were able to laugh it off.

What made Shaq turn into The Hulk

Having fun in life is important, and few know how to do it like Shaq. When asked about how he managed to have fun while playing and if he has some advice for youngsters. He said that everyone is sensitive in this world, but we have to look past it to be able to have fun. Taking a jibe at Gray, Shaq said “Jim I love you to death but I always wanted to make you eat your words”. He added that people like him and Stephen A. Smith talking against him used to turn him into “The Hulk” during games.

Shaq concluded by showing respect to Tom Brady. He said, “The great thing about Mr. Brady is I never heard him respond”. Shaq said that Brady’s calmness used to tick him off because he does the exact opposite of it. There is a life lesson in everything Shaq does and sure enough, he had a life lesson here as well. He said that he often asks his kids “who you listening to?” implying that if it is someone who doesn’t know what you’re going through, their opinions don’t matter.

Shaq empathizes with David Beckham

Despite being one of the most successful athletes in the world, Shaq was, at one point jealous of David Beckham. Beckham was the only person eclipsing Shaq’s dream of being the highest-paid athlete. After constantly coming up second on the list, Shaq said “Who the fu*k is David Beckham?” However, as time went by, he got to know the soccer legend and claims that they’re friends now. The 4x NBA champion also said that after watching Beckham’s Netflix documentary, he texted him. The reason behind Shaq reaching out was that he could identify himself with what Beckham went through in his life.

So after years of being jealous, the Big Man understands that he and Beckham might be from different fields, but their struggles are a lot more similar than he had imagined.

“I do know what I’m talking about”

Diving deeper into his “who you listening to?” comment, Shaq said that he has a G14 classification to talk about things. Especially basketball. To his credit, he is spot on with this take. Who better than the greatest Big Man in the history of the game to tell youngsters about where they are lacking? Shaq said “If they can turn their criticism into motivation” that will do the trick for their career.

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He even took Brady’s name alongside his, saying that if someone like Brady tells you about your shortcomings, no matter how humiliating it sounds, it’s always better to pay attention as he is the best person to give advice in his field.