All I can say is that I sure as hell would not want to piss him off. I've seen him a couple times in the audience of big MMA events so I'd be willing to guess that not only is he huge, moves good, but that he also has some rudimentary knowledge of MMA.
I know I might get flipped shit for this, but imagine him in his prime up against Mat Hughes now. If he has any kind of fighting ability at all, his sheer size, strength, and athleticism would make him very dangerous.
I'd be willing to bet he could take a guy out like Matt Hughes if he had some rudimentary skills. I mean how the fuck does a world class amazing champ at 185lbs like Hughes take on a basically 7' tall, 300lbs athletic guy like that? You can kiss anything, but ab punches good bye. No way a guy like Hughes could pick up Shaq and slam him like he does guys that weigh the same as him. I love hearing these freakish strength comments about the guy in MMA fights. Full body picking u pa guy that weighs the same as me is a joke. Last time I wrestled a guy I popped him into the air so fast it was funny. So you see what I'm saying? All you got left is take down's and ground and pound/submission.
Once again, if Shaq had some minor skills it would be extremely hard to take him down. If and when you got him down you'd have to keep him down and a 185lbs guy on him is like a fly. If you think not you've never wrestled/grappled seriously before. 20lbs is a big difference let alone 115lbs. Anything less than a full arm bar with everything you had/both legs maxed on his arm would not make him tap out.
Sounds totally dumb, BUT their is a reason you just don't fuck with certain people.
As for basketball players being weak? UM, NO. Maybe compared to football players, but basketball players on average are the leanest sports players, have the highest vertical leap, are over 6' tall and over 220lbs. They do lift weights. I'm pretty sure that alot of pro basketball players could put a serious beating on people. They are fast and explosive and in fighting and sports that generally means more than pure brute strength.
A nice example would be Michael Jordan. Ya, he's not gonna win any lifting contests, but he's fuckin fast and powerful and if you think not what besides genetics constitutes a great vertical jump? Power generation in the legs and hips. If he can steamroll and leap over guys that big and athletic, imagine what he'd do to an average joe or gym lifter.
Let's not even go into a guy like Lawrence Taylor rushing at you.
As for how much Shaq could deadlift. Unfortunately he has his huge height disadvantage even though his structure for his height is excellent. I'd guess around 500-600lbs. Consider just how far he has to pull that weight. Twice as far as the average joe?
Reminds me of a guy I knew that played football. 275, 6'7" senior in high school lineback. His deadlift and squat were "ok". He could bench his bodyweight once. His arm span was HYOOGE and he knew how to use his size and weight. I don't care if you could deadlift twice as much as him and outbench him by 100lbs you wouldn't get passed him.