Shaquille O’Neal: Being the NBA champions thanks to MMA training

The legendary NBA player Shaquille O’Neal revealed that his NBA football career which has been flying off with great colors as nowadays is actually the result of his hard-working MMA training days.

Shaquille O’Neal is considered as one of the top center back players throughout NBA history with the undefeatable strength. However, the former LA Lakers player revealed that he could not climb such a high peak of his basketball career if he did not involve in MMA.

”MMA is the main reason which helps me become champions for many times.” Shaq shared his point of view with ESPN. ” every day, I practice basketball hard, however, these exercises have never been enough, as to me, a basketball match bears a striking resemblance to an MMA one. Therefore, I trained MMA with John Buke, my close friend in Orlando. After MMA trains, I often came back with the most vigorous version of myself. This was in 2000 when I first become the NBA champion.”

”After this championship, I maintained the habit of training NBA. Not a long time after the first champion, I quickly gained the next one. And then the third one came easier than these previous ones. Once feeling satisfied, I gave up MMA then I lost. After being transferred to Miami, I once again took up MMA training and then I become the champion the 4th time in my life.”

Shaquille O’Neal is one of the biggest fans to MMA as he often came close to the fighting floor to clearly spectate UFC matches. ”I’m really fond of the features of this sports. MMA boxers must be one of the most talented and impressive athletes in the world.” 

This former LA Lakers player used to show his MMA ambition to compete with boxer Choi Hong Man in 2010, but the UFC President Dana White has never made his dream come true.