Big Show Reveals Ex-Celtic Convinced Him To Pursue WWE Path

Paul Wight, formerly known as Big Show, played basketball in college, but it wasn’t until an ex-Boston Celtics forward went up to him that led him toward a true path to stardom.

Wight did the media rounds to hype up his multi-man street fight on AEW “Dynamite,” and he told Babcock on “TMZ Sports TV” his pro wrestling origin story.

The 51-year-old played basketball at Wichita State University and dreamed about making the NBA. However, Shockers alum Xavier McDaniel visited his alma mater and gave Wight a reality check.

“X was always pestering me, and he kept telling me I should go into wrestling,” Wight said, per TMZ. “I said ‘Man, listen, I’m gonna play in the NBA. That’s what I’ve trained for since I was a kid. This is what I do.

“(Xavier) says, ‘Man, you’re gonna be the only 7-foot dude who gets cut by the Japanese team. He goes, ‘I’m telling you what you need to do. You need to go into pro wrestling and be Andre The Giant’s son.’ He says, ‘Man, you look like Andre. That’s what you need to do.'”

“Xavier McDaniel saw the vision on the wall long before it ever happened.”

Wight met Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff, and when he made his WCW debut in 1994, he was introduced as Andre The Giant’s son. The rest is history. And while Wight didn’t fulfill his NBA dreams, he’s had plenty of run-ins with Shaquille O’Neal and other stars by showing off his seven-foot frame.

The former WWE star Wednesday will team up with Kenny Omega, Kota Ibushi, and Chris Jericho to take on Powerhouse Hobbs, Konosuke Takeshita, Kyle Fletcher, and Brian Cage. It will be Wight’s first match since March 30, 2022.