I saw him on TV and I immediately noticed that he lost a good amount of weight. I was a little bit sketical - I thought I may have been the only person who noticed this but I am glad to see that others have. It is not a surprise by any stretch. Shaq's shaqhood was challenged and he duely responded. I expected this.....in fact I would have been surprised had I not seen any change in his physique. He should stay on the salads and lean meals for at least 4 or 5 more seasons so that he can enjoy his final seasons in top shape and without regrets. An overweight Shaq was still the most dominant in the NBA. Shaq unfortunately needs to be constantly motivated. That was exactly what Kobe was attempting to do with his criticisms but it backfired possibly due of his approach. I am happy for Shaq - he is easily one of my favorite players in the NBA.
Le'ts not talk untill he's in a Heat Jersey...my first reaction was that he was lean too but...a few angles showed him to be just the same
One thing tho, pulling off white is a remarkable feat. So you do have to take that into consideration. White adds weight.
I think it's funny how many more people seem to get behind Shaq and root him on now that he is no longer a Laker.
http://www.nola.com/sports/t-p/index.ssf?/base/sports-12/109410470297880.xml Here's an article about shaq working out
Here's the article Slimmer Shaq working to be big with Heat Thursday, September 02, 2004 John DeShazier BATON ROUGE -- There he was Wednesday evening, dangling from a too-small chair while seated behind a too-small table, hunched over microphones and tape recorders. Larger in stature than the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, larger than the Bo Campbell Auditorium in which he addressed LSU's student-athletes, just about larger than life when it comes to athletes because when names are dropped these days, few are bigger. Shaq Now a member of the Miami Heat, courtesy of a trade from the Los Angeles Lakers that was forced by the disgruntled big man. The newest celebrity on South Beach. The three-time NBA champion and three-time NBA Finals MVP. The reason to believe the scale is balanced between the Eastern and Western conferences or, perhaps, tilted to the East, since it also is home to the champion Detroit Pistons. Call him The Big Heat now, or maybe The Big Inferno. Or, perhaps better, add The Big Story to the litany of nicknames Shaquille O'Neal has accumulated, because no NBA news this offseason caused more of a stir than his dissatisfaction with and divorce from the Lakers -- and star guard Kobe Bryant -- after helping the franchise advance to the NBA Finals for the fourth time in five seasons. Not Team USA fizzling en route to winning a bronze medal at the Olympics in Athens, Greece. Not scoring champion Tracy McGrady being traded from Orlando to Houston as part of a stud-swapping deal that sent fellow All-Star Steve Francis to the Magic. Not any coach being hired, free agent being signed or pick being drafted. Shaq. "No earthly thing can bother me because I'm at peace with myself," said O'Neal, who spoke at LSU's Student-Athlete Expectation Seminar. "I have no hard feelings (toward the Lakers). It's a business." And from all indications, Shaq is taking care of his end. The Heat, which pulled a heist on the Lakers (Lamar Odom, Caron Butler and Brian Grant for O'Neal is a joke), will love what they see. Or, even more, what they don't. There'll be a lot less of Shaq to haul around on his 7-foot-1 frame this season. He weighs 331 pounds, down from the 355 he weighed when he met with Heat president Pat Riley less than two months ago, which probably is close to what he carried the last few seasons. He's still a little short of his target of 325, but if 331 pounds can look svelte, it does on Shaq. "I've always been the type of player to do what I'm told to do," he said of the weight loss. "The Lakers wanted me to lift (and build muscle mass). I'll be 325 or below when I report to camp." Where he finds the time is anyone's guess. He was speaking to students Wednesday night and is hosting a golf tournament today. A couple of nights ago, he was on stage at the MTV Music Awards. Sprinkle in a couple of appearances in Miami and who knows where else, and it seems Shaq spreads himself a little thin. "I'm going to tell (the student-athletes) a little bit about time management," Shaq said. "If they become masters of their time, they can pretty much do anything." And, he said, he'd tell them that once they leave LSU, it's a "whole different ballgame." And let them in on a couple of his secrets -- strive for simplicity and study whomever it is they consider the best at what they want to accomplish. During his time at LSU, Shaq studied perennial NBA All-Star Patrick Ewing, which is why O'Neal said he wore kneepads when he played for the Tigers. "There's a lot of expectations on student-athletes," he said. "They're expected to stay out of trouble, be respectful, do good in the classroom and win." Those seem minuscule compared to the expectations on Miami, courtesy of the addition of Shaq. "I get the chance to go down there and do what I do best -- win," he said. "I'm very focused." He should be, since so many have been focused so intently on him this offseason. . . . . . . . John DeShazier can be reached at jdeshazier@timespicayune.com or (504) 826-3410. http://www.nola.com/sports/t-p/index.ssf?/base/sports-12/109410470297880.xml
hahaha seriously it is, how many people go totally out of their way just spite others? Shaq was a fat ass for a good 3-4 years. Anyways, I'm going to wait till the season starts. His arms looked a little more toned than before, but I'm not convinced of his stomach which kinda looked like it was still sticking out.
The year my second girlfriend dumped me, I got into the best shape of my life! I could run a 5.5 minute mile and do 60 pullups. Now that I'm in a relationship again, I'm as lazy as Benoit Benjamin.
