O Neal was not fat in high school, but strong, and his strength was still the best

July 9, in basketball history, Shaquille O 'Neal's name always shines with a unique light. This 2.16-meter giant, with his unparalleled power, amazing explosive power and excellent basketball IQ, has become one of the most dominant centers in NBA history. However, there is a misunderstanding about O'Neal's success always--many think his huge weight is the key to his dominance. In fact, O'Neal's greatness does not come from his weight, but his innate talent and acquired strength. This can be seen from his body shape and performance in high school. O'Neal in high school was not as big as he was later in the NBA. At that time, his weight was controlled within a reasonable range, and his figure was more "strong" than "fat". Even so, he is already the absolute overlord on the court. When he attended Cole High School in San Antonio, Texas, O'Neal was over 2 meters tall, but his movement speed, bounce and coordination were far beyond his peers. His coach and teammates recalled that O'Neal was able to easily complete dunks in high school, and even often staged a chase block in games, showing amazing athleticism. His power allows him to easily crush his opponents in the inside, and his agility allows him to quickly return to defense or participate in fast attacks. This combination of physical conditions makes him almost unstoppable in the high school league.

O'Neal's high school stats are enough to prove his dominance. In his senior year, he averaged 32 points, 22 rebounds and 8 blocks per game, which shocked the basketball world across the United States. Many college scouts see him as the super center of the future NBA, and his playing style also heralds his future success—not relying on weight, but on comprehensive physical fitness and basketball skills. He has a flexible footsteps, skilled back-to-back singles, and can even occasionally hit mid-range jump shots. These abilities were further improved after he entered the NBA, and his weight was just an adjustment he made to adapt to higher intensity confrontations later, not the fundamental reason for his success. After entering the NBA, O'Neal's talent was more fully demonstrated. In 1992, he was selected by the Orlando Magic as the No. 1 pick. He averaged 23.4 points, 13.9 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game in his rookie season, winning the Rookie of the Year without any suspense. At this time, O'Neal's weight increased compared to his high school years, but it remained within the range of flexibility and explosiveness. His game style is full of violent aesthetics. Whether it is a strong attack at the basket or a follow-up dunk in a fast break, it makes the opponent unable to defend. During the Magic period, he led the team all the way to the Finals. Although he eventually lost to the Rockets led by Olajuwon, his performance has proved that he does not need to rely on his bulky body to dominate the game.

What really brought O'Neal to the top was his years at the Los Angeles Lakers. After joining forces with Kobe Bryant, O'Neal ushered in a golden period of his career, winning the championship three times in this stage and winning the finals MVP three times. It is worth noting that even during the Lakers, O'Neal's weight was not constant. He adjusts his size to match needs during the season to ensure he finds the best balance between speed, strength and endurance. In the 2000 playoffs, he averaged 30.7 points, 15.4 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game, helping the Lakers win the championship, and the foundation of all this is his unparalleled talent and his skills polished over the years.

Many people mistakenly believe that O'Neal's "heavy" body shape during the Miami Heat later was his strongest form, but in fact, his flexibility and explosiveness during the Lakers were his most threatening stage. Even after gaining weight later, O'Neal never relied on "fat" to play, but relied on his basketball IQ, excellent feel and terrifying under the basket. His hook, turn dunk and small throwing techniques are all achieved through hard work, rather than simply relying on weight to crush him.

O's success is ultimately a perfect combination of talent and hard work. His height, strength, agility and basketball IQ are all top-notch in history, and his reading ability and technical polishing of the game allow these talents to be maximized. Weight is just an adjustment to adapt to his needs at different stages in his career, not a decisive factor in becoming a superstar. As he himself said, "I don't play by weight, I don't play by wisdom." This sentence reveals the true secret of O'Neal's greatness.

Looking at O'Neal's career, from his "strong" in high school to his "giant" in the NBA, his core advantage has never changed - that is his innate talent and constantly evolving strength. His success is one of the purest genius stories in basketball history, and weight is just a secondary footnote to this legendary story.