While Los Angeles Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal often likes to joke around, one thing he takes seriously is the play of big men in the NBA.
O’Neal is known as the most dominant center ever and has high expectations for some of the best in the league today to be the same. He has notably gone at Dwight Howard in the past, and his most recent target has been Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert.
Shaq recently called out Gobert for not living up to his max contract, which the latter took exception with.
Gobert felt that O’Neal was triggered by his finances and accomplishments. In a recent appearance on The OGs podcast with Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller, Shaq responded and explained why that is not the case and the actual reason he is hard on guys like Gobert:
“A lot of these big men, when I put out these challenges, they fail the test because they respond. They’re sensitive. First of all, if you’re getting $250 million now, what is your renewal check gonna say? The way the money is now, the [NBA] just signed this $6 billion deal, if you’re making 250 and you’re playing up to par, what’s your next check gonna be? Probably $500 million. I’m trying to help you get it. When I speak, I try to speak from facts. It may come out wrong and you may think I’m hating, but his comments about me trying to stay relevant, I got 15 commercials. I want you to protect this thing of ours. Because if you play well and get $500 million, there’s a kid right now in high school that can be making $700 million. But if you keep playing how you’re playing and you f— the money up, you have the owners that will say ‘I gave this guy 250 and he’s not worth it.’ You f— the money up, then this thing of ours is ruined.”
O’Neal added that former great big men treated him the same way when he was still in the league:
“If you’re a historian on the game, I’m just doing what the big guys did to me. When I got to L.A., all they did was compare me and Kareem. Kareem said one day that Shaq may be good, but they’re not winning no championships… Am I gonna go back at Kareem? He’s right! So all the stuff I’m saying about Rudy is right. You don’t think I’m right, look at this play right here. Why when somebody falls, you grab their knees and put your head between their legs? What the f— is that? That’s what I’m saying. Take your foot and put it right in his stomach, do something. Like, come on bro. You’re the Defensive Player of the Year, but every scouting report I’m looking at, they’re targeting you in the pick-and-roll… I’m not triggered by your finances. And if you’re talking about your accomplishments with those little trophies you got, that’s not enough. When you’re making $250 million young man, it’s not enough. You want to impress me and UD and Mike, [win a championship]. That’s it.”
While Shaq may mean well, it’s understandable that Gobert would not be happy with some of the comments that have been aimed at him.
That probably won’t get O’Neal to stop though, so it will be interesting to see where this beef goes from here.
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