Is Shaquille O'Neal taller than Yao Ming?
No. Yao Ming is taller than Shaquille O'Neal by 5 in (12.7 cm).
Shaquille O'Neal: taller than 95 in 100 US men. Yao Ming: taller than 95 in 100 US men.
In heels or lifts?
Pick how much the shoes raise each person. A heel raises you by less than its own height, because the ball of the foot sits lower than the heel, so a height measured in the shoes is best.
Yao Ming blocked Shaquille O’Neal twice in the opening minutes of their first meeting, on January 17, 2003; both entered the Hall of Fame in 2016.
These rounded published listings give an approximate gap. They do not account for shoes or posture in a photograph.
Where these heights come from
Shaquille O'Neal is listed by the NBA at 7 ft 1 in (215.9 cm). See all of Shaquille O'Neal’s listed heights.
Yao Ming is listed by the NBA at 7 ft 6 in (228.6 cm). See all of Yao Ming’s listed heights.
Photos: Shaquille O'Neal by MarkScottAustinTX, CC BY-SA 2.0; Yao Ming by U.S. Department of State, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped.
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More comparisons
Shaquille O'Neal
- Shaquille O'Neal vs Chet Holmgren: the same listed height, 7 ft 1 in.
- Shaquille O'Neal vs Giannis Antetokounmpo: Shaquille O'Neal is taller than Giannis Antetokounmpo by 2 in (4.9 cm).
- Shaquille O'Neal vs Kevin Durant: Shaquille O'Neal is taller than Kevin Durant by 2 in (4.9 cm).
Yao Ming
- Yao Ming vs Tacko Fall: the same listed height, 7 ft 6 in.
- Yao Ming vs Victor Wembanyama: Yao Ming is taller than Victor Wembanyama by 2 in (5.1 cm).
- Yao Ming vs Kevin Durant: Yao Ming is taller than Kevin Durant by 7 in (17.6 cm).
Cite this page
| APA | Heightvs. (2026, October 17). Is Shaq taller than Yao Ming? No, 5 in shorter. https://heightvs.com/compare/shaquille-oneal-vs-yao-ming |
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| MLA | “Is Shaq Taller Than Yao Ming? No, 5 in Shorter.” Heightvs, 17 Oct. 2026, heightvs.com/compare/shaquille-oneal-vs-yao-ming. |
| Chicago | “Is Shaq Taller Than Yao Ming? No, 5 in Shorter.” Heightvs. Last modified October 17, 2026. https://heightvs.com/compare/shaquille-oneal-vs-yao-ming. |
| Link | <a href="https://heightvs.com/compare/shaquille-oneal-vs-yao-ming">Is Shaq taller than Yao Ming? No, 5 in shorter (Heightvs)</a> |
For the height itself, cite the original publisher as well: NBA (Shaquille O'Neal), Wikipedia (Shaquille O'Neal), NBA (Yao Ming), Wikipedia (Yao Ming).
