Many have wondered what it would be like if the agile and dominant giant, Shaquille O’Neal, was like certain other NBA legends. If he could play in a different position instead of the center and if he’d be as great at it. Apparently, Shaq has given it some thought as well. He came to the conclusion that he can’t measure up to the stars that he’s long-held admiration for. Moreover, he thinks he’d have to be physically different too.
Funnily, he’s revived a partnership with Pepsi after years. As with any Shaq ad, his wit shows in an interesting what-if scenario. Decades after his last Pepsi commercial, the Big Aristotle is starring in a new ad for the beverage. In this ad, he imagines a scenario where he was shorter than his current 7’1″ frame. So when he was asked if his NBA career would be just as great if he was 6’5″. He had no misconception that the answer was a yes.
Shaquille O’Neal can’t imagine himself as MJ
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O’Neal would elaborate by saying, “No, I think because what makes me unique is that I’m extremely different from the norm..” The president of the Big Man Alliance knows he stands out from a long line of dominant centers in NBA history. Therefore, if he was something like a small forward, he’d have to live up to his former teammates to have the same impact.
“And what I mean by that, there’s a lot of seven footers. But I’m extremely different. So which it makes me stand out. If I was 6′ 5, I’d have to be super extremely different like a Jordan, and a Kobe, and LeBron. It’s just too much to compete with,” he further told Yahoo.
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It was a memorable time in history when Shaq made one half of the Lakers three-peat-winning duo with Kobe Bryant. He’d have a similar partnership with Dwyane Wade to win his fourth championship. And he was his GOAT, Michael Jordan’s teammate in two All-Star games. So he’s seen them up close to know those are big shoes to fill even in an imaginary scenario.
The idea of being average-sized has not eluded O’Neal. He gets to see a scenario like that play out through the new Pepsi commercial.
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Shaq downsizes for Pepsi return
O’Neal has grappled with being larger than average since his teens when he shot up to 6’10”. As a multi-millionaire, he can afford to customize most things to fit him like even getting a custom-made bike. But in the new ad for Pepsi, he says, “Yes, it’s true. Sometimes I wish I was a little bit smaller.”
Together with Skee-Lo, Shaq raps the miseries of not fitting in an airline seat or being able to play hide-and-seek and his wish to be smaller. His only solace is the new Pepsi mini-can that makes the ‘small’ joys of his life.
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We can’t picture a pocket-size Big Diesel. But what kind of player you think he’d be if he was at Michael Jordan’s height?