NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal is making some big lifestyle changes.
The retired superstar told Entertainment Tonight that he has shed 55 pounds to get down to 351 — just six more pounds than he said he weighed when he helped lead the Los Angeles Lakers to the NBA title in 2000.
"I was getting chubby and couldn’t even walk up the stairs," he said. "I didn’t like the way I looked in the mirror. I was like, ‘I’m gonna lose 20,’ and then I was trying to lose 20."
The "NBA on TNT" star added that his goal is to get down to between 315 and 330 pounds on his 7-foot-1 frame.
Get New England news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NECN newsletters.
O'Neal, 51, told Entertainment Tonight in December that he had lost about 40 pounds after seeing a doctor prompted changes in his diet.
“I got some blood work done. A friend of mine called me and said, ‘You’re fat,’ and she gave me this guy’s name, and he did some blood work, and you know, because I was the athlete, I wasn’t a salad eater," he said.
"I didn’t know what the difference was between a carb and a protein. At 50 years old, I never knew. So, he was saying you can’t do this, you can’t do that, more vegetables, my iron’s low. And once I just started changing those certain things, it dropped.”
He also offered some advice for others trying to get in shape: “Start off, if you can, by walking 30 minutes a day. A lot of people can’t do that because ... you got the kids, you've got to get to work. But if you can, start off by walking 30 minutes a day,” he said. “Put your headphones on, put on your favorite song, 30 minutes a day.”
The Hall of Famer also had a hip replacement surgery in March. He shared a video to Instagram showing him slowly walking with a crutch through a weight room.
"Bout to get my game back alll you old dudes that hoop in @24hrfitness @lafitness @lifetimefitness i’m coming for yall," he wrote in the caption.
This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:
