If there’s one thing we know about Shaquille O’Neal, it’s that he has pretty good self-esteem. The Big Cactus never hesitates to remember, even if it means sometimes going a little too far, to what extent it supplants current players. The proof with his latest release.
Rudy Gobert can attest to this: between Shaquille O’Neal and active NBA players, it’s not always mad love. The Hall of Famer believes that the era in which he played represents the golden age of basketball, and he never misses an opportunity to complain about the current league. His obsessions? Interiors that no longer dominate enough, the lack of hardness, the explosion of 3-point shooting, or, among other things, the change in mentality over the years.
Incorrigible, Shaq gives a layer
You guessed it, the four-time NBA champion recently did it again during an episode of his podcast. Asked about recent rule changes in the league, the Diesel brought the subject back to his turf:
Rule changes? I think it hurts the game. There’s a saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. I think most of the time these changes come under the weight of those complaining.
Generally, a lot of players are now considered stars, but there are very few that could be carried over to the dimension I belong to. LeBron, Steph, guys like that.
Aware of the image that sticks to his skin, O’Neal nevertheless went there for cash right after:
People always say to me, “You’re a hater, you’re a hater”. I’ll tell you something: I’d really like to play against those fragile little ones that there are now. I swear I would love it. It would be a massacre, a butchery.
That is what is said. Obviously, the debate is (once again) open from these remarks. What would happen if the Shaq had to fight at the low post against Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid or Karl-Anthony Towns? Of course, Superman has an undeniable physical advantage, and a power that the three names mentioned would have a hard time containing in defense. On the other side of the field, on the other hand, the situation could be a little different…
Indeed, O’Neal was accustomed to defending his entire career from insides that stayed in the lineup, which suited him just fine. In an age where the bigs are getting out of the way to shoot three-pointers, and switches have become ultra-prevalent on every pick-and-roll, would the Big Cactus be as effective a defender as he ever was? against Dikembe Mutombo, Patrick Ewing and others? Everyone will have their own opinion on the matter, but nothing is less certain.
Obviously, Shaquille O’Neal can’t help but regularly fall back into his faults, shouting to anyone who will listen that the current generation would have been nothing but fun for him. A grain of truth? Maybe. But at a time when several veterans like Allen Iverson glorify current athletes, be careful not to fall into a certain form of bitterness…
