Shaquille O’Neal has done it all—four-time NBA champ, 15-time All-Star, and a Hall of Famer with a legacy that speaks for itself. He’s got a doctorate, owns countless businesses, and yes, he’s reportedly worth over $500 million. But honestly? The first thing that hits you isn’t the money. It’s that insane height. At 7-foot-1, Shaq doesn’t just walk into a room—he looms.
Just last month, Shaquille O’Neal returned to his alma mater in San Antonio during the 2025 NCAA Men’s Final Four, meeting fans and students with that signature smile. He even hosted a shooting contest for two seniors and left the kids with some inspiring words. Shaq’s roots run deep—he led the school to its first 3A state title back in 1989. And now, from those early San Antonio days, a rare photo has resurfaced.
A rare gem from 1989 just resurfaced, thanks to Traces of Texas on Instagram and Twitter—and it’s pure gold. The photo shows a 17-year-old Shaquille O’Neal posing with his school librarian, Sandee Mewhinney, at San Antonio’s Robert G. Cole High School, right after leading his team to a perfect 36-0 season and a 3A state title. “I knew Shaquille would go far in his basketball career,” Mewhinney wrote. “So I wanted a picture with him.”
But it wasn’t just the nostalgia that caught people’s attention—it was the shoes. “Note how large his shoes are compared to hers,” the caption pointed out, sparking comparisons to another viral moment: the now-famous photo of Shaq and Simone Biles. That image made waves last year. The size difference? Wild. Simone Biles stands at 1.42 meters, while Shaq towers at 2.16—nearly a 74-centimeter gap. And yes, Biles was wearing heels in that photo.
So, just how tall is tall when you’re standing next to Shaq?
When even Shaquille O’Neal had to look up
Shaquille O’Neal has always been larger than life—on the court and off it. Standing 7-foot-1, weighing 325 pounds, rocking a 7’4″ wingspan and a size 22 shoe (yes, really), Shaq wasn’t just tall—he was built like a tank. That insane frame is a huge reason he could absolutely dominate in the paint without needing a strong three-point shot during his prime years with the Lakers. He didn’t have to shoot over defenders. He overpowered them in the paint.
And while he passed down that height to his sons—Shareef O’Neal is already 6’9″—Shaq just met someone who even made him look up. Earlier this year, he posted a TikTok with Olivier Rioux, a 7-foot-9 Canadian college player at Florida, and you could see it in Shaq’s face—he was stunned. That’s saying something, considering Jay-Z looked like a kid next to him in a 2020 photo, and Kevin Hart barely made it to his pocket square.
Of course, Shaq isn’t the tallest NBA player ever—guys like Gheorghe Mureșan and Manute Bol (both 7-foot-7) still top the charts, with Bol even extending his range to the three-point line later in his career. Slavko Vraneš, standing 7-foot-6, had a very brief NBA stint, playing just a few minutes in a single game. Shawn Bradley (7’5″) was known for his length and shot-blocking ability since his junior year in high school. Yao Ming (7’6”) stood out as one of the most skillful and talented players among these giants.
But Shaq had something those guys didn’t: athleticism and power. He was a force of nature. And to this day, no matter how tall someone is, standing next to him still feels like standing in the shadow of a skyscraper. But that old photo from ’89? It’s a snapshot of history. Long before the shoe deals, movie cameos, and Hall of Fame induction, there was just a teenage Shaq and a librarian who believed in him. Decades later, the size difference still stuns, but the story? It just keeps getting bigger.
The post 17YO Shaquille O’Neal’s Rare Photo With Lesser-Known Companion From High School Resurfaces After Decades appeared first on EssentiallySports.
