Shaquille O’Neal has spent much of his life being the biggest person in the room.
At 7 feet 1 inch tall and roughly 325 pounds during his NBA career, the basketball legend was an extraordinary physical presence even among professional athletes. Opposing players knew exactly what it felt like when O’Neal entered the paint, established position near the basket and used a combination of size, strength and athleticism that was almost impossible to match.
But according to Shaq, humans are apparently not the only ones who notice just how enormous he is.
Gorillas notice, too.
And their reaction, he says, can be unforgettable.
O’Neal once shared a remarkable and very funny story about what supposedly happens when he visits gorilla exhibits at zoos. Instead of simply ignoring him like another visitor standing behind the glass, male gorillas sometimes appear to become unusually interested in him.
They stare.
They change their posture.
They approach the barrier.
And, according to Shaq, they sometimes behave as though they are ready for a confrontation.
It sounds almost too perfectly suited to Shaq’s larger-than-life personality to be true. But when he decided to call a well-known animal expert during his podcast to back up the story, the explanation became even more fascinating.
There may actually be something about Shaq’s extraordinary physical presence that gets a gorilla’s attention.
A Story That Started on Shaq’s Podcast
The story gained widespread attention in early 2022 after O’Neal discussed his experiences with gorillas on The Big Podcast with Shaq.
Shaq claimed that whenever he visits the gorilla section of a zoo, the animals seem to react differently to him than they do to ordinary visitors.
As is typical with Shaq, he explained the encounters with plenty of humor.
He jokeded that the gorillas seemed to look at him as if they were wondering why he was standing outside the enclosure while they were inside. But underneath the comedy was a serious claim: O’Neal said male gorillas had repeatedly become visibly agitated or excited when he approached.
The story was entertaining enough on its own.
Then Shaq decided to provide a witness.
During the conversation, he contacted Ron Magill, a longtime wildlife expert and communications director associated with Zoo Miami, and asked him what happens when Shaq approaches the gorillas.
Magill backed up the central part of O’Neal’s story.
According to reports of their conversation, Magill explained that a male gorilla could appear intimidated by O’Neal’s extraordinary size. He described the animal becoming tight-lipped and changing its posture in an effort to make itself look larger.
Magill humorously characterized the reaction as though the gorilla thought Shaq might be competition for the females in its group.
The exchange attracted national attention, including coverage from NPR, which noted the unusual confirmation from the Zoo Miami expert.
Source: NPR / Georgia Public Broadcasting, “NBA great Shaquille O'Neal says gorillas are intimidated by him,” February 7, 2022.
But while the idea of a silverback sizing up an NBA Hall of Famer is hilarious, there is also some genuine animal behavior behind the story.
Shaq Is an Extraordinary Visual Stimulus
To understand why a gorilla might pay special attention to O’Neal, it helps to understand just how unusual Shaq looks compared with the average human visitor.
O’Neal is 7 feet 1 inch tall.
During his NBA career, he was generally listed at approximately 325 pounds, although his playing weight varied during different periods of his career.
Even in professional basketball—a sport famous for extremely tall athletes—Shaq was enormous.
Put him among ordinary zoo visitors, and the difference becomes even more dramatic.
A gorilla obviously does not understand NBA statistics, championship rings or celebrity status. It does not know that the enormous person approaching its enclosure is one of the most famous basketball players in history.
What it can perceive is physical information.
Size.
Movement.
Posture.
Direction of attention.
And potentially eye contact.