As the world waits and ponders what Shaquille O'Neal's next move will be should Inside The NBA end, the living legend is doling out hot takes about the state of the game. O'Neal is known for his unflinching opinions about the current era of players. However, his latest comments were especially bold, as the former Lakers center was asked to name the "worst of all time" players, and he named two who are in the league right now.
Shaq did a video with his son Myles O'Neal for Complex, where they discussed the best and worst things ever. The legend was prompted to give his opinion of who the worst basketball players ever were, and those who thought he'd give a diplomatic answer aren't familiar with his antics on Inside The NBA. O'Neal doesn't hold back when it comes to talking about which players aren't pulling their weight in the league, and he directly called out Rudy Gobert and Ben Simmons:
Rudy Gobert...Ben Simmons is another bum. No, because you know why? I'm going to tell you why. You sign a contract for 250 [million], show me 250. There's a reason why I walk funny, [why] I can't turn my neck...because I played for my 120 [million]. So you got guys like him that fuck the system over there making all this money and they can't fucking play. So I don't respect guys like that.
Gobert is a three-time NBA All-Star, a four-time NBA Defensive Player Of The Year, and allegedly spurred the massive shutdown of the NBA during the pandemic. Brooklyn Nets' Ben Simmons also has a good deal of accolades, but his past few seasons have been marred by injuries and drama ever since a horrendous playoff showing with his previous team, the Philadelphia 76ers.
Based on Shaquille O'Neal's comments and the similarities between the two, the champion's main gripe is that he dislikes players who get paid big bucks and don't play unless they absolutely can't. Ben Simmons only played 15 games in the latest NBA season, and he missed the rest to seek treatment for a pinched nerve.
As for Rudy Gobert, he played most of the games he could for the Minnesota Timberwolves last season but made headlines for coming off the bench and getting limited playing time for Team France during the Paris Olympics due to a finger injury. France ultimately lost the gold medal to Team USA.
I thought Shaq was being a little harsh when he criticized Gobert, but it seems the legend already saw that criticism coming:
Every time I make these comments people think I'm hating but these are facts. You got teachers, you got firemen, you got doctors who have real jobs and don't get paid shit.
He's not wrong, but it's fair to say that Shaquille O'Neal has some hot takes from time to time. He once declared himself the G.O.A.T. of athlete rappers, and I personally would have to say that Damian Lillard or John Cena, if we're including WWE, easily hold that title over him. So, it's not farfetched for him to make bold claims that cause debates.
At the same time, it's hard not to respect the Big Man's opinion. As tough as he can be, we're talking about a guy who took on terrifying legends like Michael Jordan and played with other greats like Kobe Bryant despite a largely dysfunctional relationship.
Hopefully, we'll hear more of Shaq's takes should Inside The NBA have a future. So, be sure to check the 2024 TV schedule for updates about it and his other TV projects as there's a chance it may continue despite TNT losing its rights to broadcast NBA games.
