Shaquille O’Neal and Dwyane “The Rock” Johnson, two of the biggest stars in entertainment, connected at the UFC Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Las Vegas.
The 7-foot-1 basketball legend and the 6-foot-4 pro wrestling legend posed for photos together inside the T-Mobile Arena on June 26. Johnson was on hand to help induct mixed martial artist Mark Kerr.
Shaq, 53, and The Rock, 53, crossed paths backstage at the UFC event. The two A-listers were joined by Johnson’s “The Smashing Machine” co-star Emily Blunt. O’Neal shared four photos from the meet-up on his Instagram page.
The Rock embraced self-deprecating humor when he jumped into Shaq’s comments. The “Moana 2” voice actor also took a lighthearted jab at his longtime on-screen collaborator, Kevin Hart.
“Got me out here lookin’ like Kevin Hart [face with tears of joy emoji]. Love U, big brother. [medium-dark skin tone fist emoji],” The Rock jokingly wrote on the social media app.
Other people also made comparisons between The Rock standing next to O’Neal and what it would look like if the former WWE champion were beside Hart, who is reportedly between 5 feet 2 and 5 feet 5.
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“Shaq makes the Rock look tiny. Kevin Hart must be happy to see this,” one Instagram commenter posted. A second person added, “The Rock [is] feeling like Kevin Hart for once.”
“Kevin, you got 24 hours to respond… the disrespect is hilarious,” joked a Shaq follower. One suggestion read, “Kevin Hart could leave the funniest comment on this.”
Additionally, a fan was amazed by the size of Shaq, writing, “Making the Rock look small is insane.” A similar comment stated, “Never seen the Rock look so small.”
“The only man that can make The Rock look like The Pebble,” expressed another Instagram user in reaction to O’Neal towering over Johnson in the pictures.
“Do y’all think The Rock can take Shaq in the ring?” one commenter wondered. Besides being a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, O’Neal also has experience in the wrestling industry.
In 1994, Shaq showed up at WCW’s Bash at the Beach pay-per-view. He also appeared as a celebrity guest host on the “WWE Raw” television show in July 2009. The four-time NBA champion had a cameo with TNA as well.
Shaq made his in‑ring debut at WWE’s WrestleMania 32 as part of the 2016 André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. Five years later, the 15-time NBA All-Star wrestled in a tag team match for AEW.
The Rock rose from being a WWE superstar to becoming one of the most recognizable men on the planet. His acting performances in movies like “The Scorpion King” and the “Fast & Furious” franchise made him a household name.
Hart, 45, teamed up with Johnson for numerous motion pictures. The stand-up comic and the former college football player joined forces in “Central Intelligence,” “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,” “Jumanji: The Next Level,” and “DC League of Super-Pets.”
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The Rock and Hart built a close professional and personal relationship over the past decade. For instance, they were tapped to co-host the 2016 MTV Movie Awards ahead of the release of “Central Intelligence” in June of that year.
In 2019, Johnson was on hand to celebrate Hart being immortalized with a prestigious Hollywood honor. The Philadelphia native cemented his handprints and footprints outside the historic TCL Chinese Theatre with his close associate in attendance.
“Kevin is so small and light, they had to get somebody pushing Kevin down to get his feet imprinted,” The Rock said about Hart’s TCL Chinese Theatre ceremony during a 2019 interview on the “Jimmy Kimmel Live” late-night talk show.
The TKO Group board member also noted, “The funny thing is when he did stand on that, he finally reached five feet” before adding, “He is definitely one of my best friends. … It’s a real friendship.”
‘Kevin, You Got 24 Hours to Respond’: Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s Viral Interaction With Shaq Caused the WWE Superstar To Take a Shot At Longtime Co-Star Kevn Hart