Shaquille O'Neal made huge change to his pre-game meal because of Michael Jordan

Shaquille O'Neal made a drastic change to his pre-game meal after hearing about what Michael Jordan was eating before going out on the court.

The 7ft 1 monster is one of the most dominant players in NBA history, winning four championships with Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat.

His sheer size and height made him almost impossible to stop in his prime, with opponents struggling to contain his blend of power and athleticism.

The NBA Hall of Famer's weight fluctuated during his career and he was much heavier towards the end - even coming up with a sneaky tactic to get out of body fat testing.

Early on, 'Big Diesel' had a turkey club sandwich and fries before every game without fail. However, he then uncovered that what he was eating could be making him "sleepy" and altered his meal.

Having read that Chicago Bulls icon Jordan was tucking into a steak for extra energy in the clutch moments, Shaq made the switch.

"My pregame meal in my earlier days was a turkey club sandwich and fries," he told Muscle and Fitness.

"Then I was on the plane one night, and I discovered a new word: tryptophan. It’s in turkey, and basically, it gets you sleepy. Then I read that Michael Jordan had a steak before every game because it helped give him energy in the fourth quarter. So from 1999 to the end of my career, I always had a steak.”

Around four hours before every game, Jordan would enjoy steak and potato as he felt as though it gave him the energy "to go out and play a good, hard basketball game".

Shaquille O'Neal shares a joke with Michael Jordan. Image: Getty

But while six-time NBA champ Jordan was meticulous in his preparation and took nutrition seriously, Shaq didn't quite take the same approach.

The late Kobe Bryant admitted his frustration with Shaq's eating habits and believes the pair could have been even more successful had he placed more of a focus on his diet.

Shaq's fast-food habits

In an interview with Yahoo, Shaq agreed that he would have been able to play at a higher level for longer had he listened to Bryant as he disclosed his love for fast-food.

"I used to wake up, have McDonald's for breakfast, have McDonald's for lunch, play a game and then go to a restaurant," he revealed.

"But now, guys are really conscious of their bodies and have nutritionists. There's more understanding. If I had this internet stuff growing up, I'd be a genius by now. Back then it was like, ‘A nutritionist? What's that?' I'd probably still be playing."