In a recent appearance on “GOAT Talk” NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal gave his pick for the worst basketball player of All-Time. For those familiar with O’Neal, his answer was neither surprising nor unexpected.
“Rudy Gobert,” said Shaq. “And Ben Simmons is another bum. You know why? Because if you sign a contract for $250 million, show me $250 million. There’s a reason why I walk funny and I can’t turn my neck, because I played for my $120. You got guys like him that f**k the system over there, making all this money and they can’t f***ing play.”
Shaq named his pick for the Worst NBA Player of All Time… 😶 pic.twitter.com/tsEqJFl2qP
— Complex (@Complex) September 4, 2024
There are few people on earth who know the game better than Shaquille O’Neal. As a 4x champion, former MVP, and 15x All-Star, he has more authority than most to speak on the game and on the players who currently headline it. The man made over $120 million in his career and achieved a level of greatness that has not been matched since.
As someone who frequently analyzes the game, O’Neal is never shy about giving criticism to those he feels deserve it, and Rudy Gobert is one of his regular targets. On paper, the French center is one of the top stars in the league as a 4x Defensive Player of the Year, 4x All-NBA player, and 3x All-Star.
His initial rise began with the Utah Jazz back in 2018 but after they failed to gain traction in the playoffs, he was eventually moved to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Over the past two seasons in Minnesota, Gobert has averaged 13.7 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game on 66% shooting.
For most players, these would be serviceable numbers but Shaquille O’Neal is not impressed. In fact, for years, Shaq has been one of Rudy’s staunchest critics. Ever since he signed his 5-year, $205 million contract in 2020 O’Neal has made it a point to discredit his game every chance he gets.
Over the past few years alone, Shaq has publicly trolled Gobert by mocking his scoring output, sharing clips of his failures, and claiming that he’d like to put the NBA veteran in a “chokehold” like Draymond Green did during one of their clashes. It’s been a brutal campaign against Gobert and there’s no end in sight.
The problem for Shaq is that Rudy has been awarded the money and status of an NBA legend when, in his mind, he’s not worthy of even being called a star. For O’Neal, Rudy’s game is too soft and underwhelming to compare to his own and it’s something that he will never come to appreciate.
Despite Shaq’s disapproval, however, Gobert will remain a core member of the Timberwolves. After a run to the West Finals last year, there is hope that they can compete for the title and Rudy’s play on the defensive end should help make it easier. Who knows, maybe if they do go on to win the whole thing, then Shaq may finally give Rudy the credit that he rightfully deserves.
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