Shaquille O’Neal Reveals the ‘Only Time’ He Wishes He Wasn’t 7 Feet Tall

At over seven feet tall, Shaquille O’Neal was built for basketball, to say the least. Though he might not be the tallest player in NBA history, his 7’1″ height is nothing to sneeze at, and Shaq himself is happy he towers above most people.

Still, there’s one part of his daily routine when he wishes he was just a little shorter.

The Inside the NBA host and onetime rapper stars in a new Pepsi ad for its new mini cans as he wishes he was “a little bit smaller” to the tune of Skee-Lo’s 1995 song “I Wish I Was a Little Bit Taller.” It turns out the fictitious lyrics have a hint of truth in them.

Shaq explained his desire to be shorter in an interview with People, recounting how it all stems from a time in his life when he had to make certain accommodations for his height.

“They’ve got these Lamborghinis and Ferraris… [and] I used to have to buy two, shrimp them up, spend a crazy amount of money and take the convertible part off to make myself fit,” he said. “But that’s the only time I’ve wished I was smaller, so I can get into some of these expensive sports cars. Other than that, I’ve never had that thought process.”

At 7’1″, Shaq doesn’t even make the list of the tallest NBA players in history, as many over the years have measured 7’2″ or more.

The tallest current players include the Boston Celtics’ Kristaps Porziņģis and the Phoenix Suns’ Bol Bol, both of whom stand at 7’3″, and the San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama and Houston Rockets’ Boban Marjanović at 7’4″.

Don’t ask Shaq to go for a ride in your sleek new car, but call him over if you need something from the top shelf.