It doesn’t matter who, where, when, or why, Shaquille O’Neal has never been afraid to call out what he doesn’t like in the NBA.
Most recently, O’Neal gave his honest thoughts on four-time Defensive Player of the Year for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Rudy Gobert.
“I hate Rudy Gobert,” O’Neal said on The Big Podcast With Shaq. “Cause the (guy) made $250 (million), he don’t deserve that.”
O’Neal has never been fond of Gobert, as is the case with a lot of other players in the league. He has well-chronicled beef with other big men like Dwight Howard and Javale McGee.
Shaq Hates Rudy Gobert
Along with giving his blunt thoughts on Gobert, O’Neal gave a bold prediction on what he’ll do if the Timberwolves center ever makes the Hall of Fame.
“If Rudy Gobert gets into the Hall of Fame, I’ll wear this dress to the ceremony,” O’Neal said.
Gobert has won four Defensive Player of the Year awards, making him almost a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame. Regardless, Shaq’s message rang clear.
“As the president of the big man alliance, if you’re making big money, play like a big man,” O’Neal said. “Throw some bows, knock some people out, don’t be letting little white dudes from Denver (Christian Braun) dunk on you.”
O’Neal has always been protective of players, especially centers, being compared to him, or in the conversations for some of the best of all time. While Gobert has been very impactful on the defensive end of the floor throughout his career, O’Neal probably doesn’t like that a player nicknamed the ‘Stifle Tower’ who has made nearly $300 million in his career, while ‘Superman’ made just a bit less with his NBA contracts.
Thoughts On The GOAT Debate
After giving his harsh criticism of Gobert, O’Neal also commented on the NBA GOAT debate. While he said, in his eyes, Michael Jordan is the best player of all time, he thinks the late Kobe Bryant deserves more respect.
“It doesn’t matter who you pick. I want to hear the right names. Somehow, it’s just LeBron and Jordan. But my argument is, shouldn’t Kobe be in that conversation?” O’Neal said. “To me, Mike is the greatest of all time. But I just hear people go from Mike to LeBron, and no Kobe.”
In another form of throwing shade, O’Neal also sent some judgment to Wilt Chamberlain when discussing the best players of all time, saying ‘he only got two (championships).’
Though some might disagree with his opinions, O’Neal has never, and will never, shy away from giving his true feelings on the NBA. With his resume of four NBA titles, three Finals MVP awards, 15 All-Star selections, and two scoring titles, while making the Hall of Fame, he has the accolades and respect around the league to give these bold takes.
For Gobert, he’s heard the criticism before. His four Defensive Player of the Year awards tie him for the most all-time alongside Ben Wallace and Dikembe Mutombo, two others already in the Hall of Fame.
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