The prime minister is usually a towering figure in the national imagination, but on Saturday Anthony Albanese was quite literally dwarfed by Shaquille O’Neal during an announcement the NBA star would be lending his support to the campaign for an Indigenous voice to parliament.
The former LA Lakers centre is in Australia for a speaking tour and reached out to the government to inform himself about the proposal for the First Nations voice, Albanese said.
Following what the prime minister called “a terrific meeting” between himself, the minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney, and O’Neal, Albanese announced the NBA legend would be part of the effort to mobilise support in the lead-up to a referendum on enshrining an Indigenous voice in the constitution.
In a press conference following the meeting, Albanese said the discussions with O’Neal followed similar conversations with other sporting figures, as well as the AFL and NRL, in order “to build the broadest possible support”.
The prime minister praised O’Neal’s record of “bringing people together of different backgrounds”, which he said was consistent with the government’s own approach when it comes to the voice.
“Shaq has agreed to do some vids and to have a chat about the importance of bringing people together and that’s really what the voice to parliament and constitutional recognition is about: lifting up our great country, providing a moment of which we can all be proud when Indigenous Australians are recognised in our constitution,” Albanese said.
Burney said she was “really pleased and very proud” that O’Neal sought to talk about the referendum. “He said it was a noble task, that it was important,” she said.
Burney reinforced the importance of building support across communities in Australia for the voice but said that it was also “wonderful” to see the international interest from people like O’Neal.
Albanese emphasised that “this will improve the nation, it will improve our self-confidence in the way we see ourselves, but it will also improve the way we are seen by the world”.
“Australia will be seen more positively when we demonstrate our maturity as a nation, recognising our full history,” Albanese said.
Reporters asked Albanese if he was personally prepared if the “political test” of the referendum did not succeed, and his response was that “there is always a risk, but there is also a very clear non-risk”.
“If you don’t have a referendum by definition you will not advance and it will not succeed.
“It is how do you do things for the better? That requires a risk. But I believe in reality it is either an opportunity to succeed versus a certainty of not succeeding. I have thought that through.
“We are deliberately creating the space for movement across the political spectrum.”
O’Neal received a boomerang from Burney and South Sydney Rabbitohs jerseys from Albanese.
Not every day you get to shake hands with NBA legend @SHAQ.
— Linda Burney MP (@LindaBurneyMP) August 27, 2022
The 4x NBA champion discussed his charity work, basketball & his interest in the First Nations Voice.
I hope he enjoys the Bunnies jersey, & the killer boomerang handmade by 25 year old Wiradjuri artist Josh Evans. pic.twitter.com/sBqWczV9DG
The internet did not have a consensus view on Albanese’s height but pictures attest to the fact it is well below O’Neal stature at 2.16 metres tall.
The member for Fremantle, Josh Wilson, suggested on social media the member for Hunter, the ex-Olympic shooter Daniel Repacholi at over two metres tall, might have helped average out the difference between the NBA star and members of government.
Where’s @DanRepacholi when you need him? https://t.co/hU3NCTmPEc
— Josh Wilson (@Josh4Freo) August 27, 2022
It’s not the first time world leaders have appeared dwarfed in pictures, but whereas the diminutive stature of former president Jimmy Carter and former first lady Rosalynn Carter in relation to US president Joe Biden and his wife Jill in 2021 was most likely distorted by a wide-angle lens, the disparity in size between O’Neal and the Labor ministers caught on camera was no trick.
We’re pleased to share this wonderful photo from the @POTUS and @FLOTUS visit to see the Carters in Plains, Ga.!
— The Carter Center (@CarterCenter) May 4, 2021
Thank you President and Mrs. Biden! pic.twitter.com/QcA33iUev4
