Shaquille O’Neal has never been shy about criticizing modern NBA players, and his latest comments show exactly why he believes some of today’s stars are failing the fans despite earning record-breaking contracts.
Speaking on the Expeditiously podcast, Shaq admitted he gets frustrated watching certain players collect massive paychecks without delivering the level of performance he believes the league deserves.
“I’m professionally jealous of some of these bums that are making money. I am a hater. I’m telling you, I’m a hater. Because you’re making all this money, but you’re not protecting this thing of ours. If you’re making all this money and you’re not giving the people a good show, at some point, this thing of ours will end. And I don’t want it to end.”
“So I try to say certain things and get them mad, hoping it’ll make them play harder. But these guys make so much money, they don’t care.”
Those comments fit a pattern that has followed O’Neal throughout his broadcasting career.
Shaq has repeatedly challenged players whom he feels are underperforming relative to their contracts. One of his most famous targets has been Rudy Gobert, whom he has criticized for years despite Gobert’s four Defensive Player of the Year awards. O’Neal recently refused to give Gobert credit for slowing down Nikola Jokic during Minnesota’s playoff run, continuing a long-running feud between the two big men.
He has also been highly critical of Ben Simmons. At one point, Shaq jokingly suggested Simmons should be jailed for collecting over $250 million in NBA salary while spending long stretches unavailable due to injuries and other issues.
More recently, O’Neal turned his attention toward Victor Wembanyama during the NBA Finals. After San Antonio fell behind 2-0 against the New York Knicks, Shaq criticized the young superstar’s postgame comments and questioned his Game 1 shot selection after Wembanyama shot just 6-for-21 from the field and attempted 9 three-pointers.
For O’Neal, the criticism isn’t personal. It stems from his belief that players have a responsibility to justify the enormous financial investments franchises are making.
The NBA’s salary landscape has changed dramatically since Shaq’s playing days. Supermax contracts now routinely exceed $300 million, and league executives expect the first $500 million contracts to arrive within the next several years as new television deals continue driving basketball revenues higher.
Players such as Luka Doncic, Anthony Edwards, Wembanyama, and others could eventually become members of that exclusive club.
O’Neal has repeatedly argued that larger contracts should come with greater accountability. The irony is that Shaq himself earned more than $292 million during his playing career, a figure that once seemed unimaginable. Today, a single superstar contract can surpass that amount.
While some fans view Shaq’s critiques as old-school complaining, others appreciate that he consistently holds modern stars to high standards. O’Neal often points to the effort level and competitiveness of previous eras, arguing that fans spend significant money on tickets, merchandise, and subscriptions and deserve maximum effort in return.
The comments came during a wide-ranging podcast appearance in which O’Neal also discussed wanting to get married again within the next three years, his famous ‘$20 rule’ that helped grow his Papa Johns franchise investments, and his earliest financial dream before becoming an NBA superstar.
But as always, it was his thoughts on today’s players that generated the biggest headlines. Whether fans agree with him or not, one thing remains clear: Shaquille O’Neal still views himself as a protector of the game, and he has no plans to stop calling out players he believes are not giving basketball fans their money’s worth.
