Following the Pelicans’ 127-120 win over the Clippers on Tuesday, Shaquille O’Neal went viral for his overly critical review of Zion Williamson. After the young star dropped 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists in the win, Shaq demanded more from Zion and said he wasn’t impressed by the performance.
“You giving him props for that? I need more. Anybody can get 20 points now. That’s not good enough. I’m not impressed by that. If they’re (Pelicans) in third or fourth place and you got those numbers, I’m impressed. I’m not impressed by that. You need to do more, Zion, I love you.”
It’s just the second time in his career that Zion finished with a triple-double and it came in a win over one of the NBA’s hottest teams. Yet, somehow, it still wasn’t enough to get praise from Shaq, who continues to employ a tough-love approach for his young NBA mentees.
The problem is that this comment is coming at a very volatile time for the NBA media. Despite LeBron James and other players calling out basketball coverage for being too negative, O’Neal is doubling down on his approach and holding his standards impossibly high.
On X, fans blasted Shaq for his take and pleaded with him to help uplift the game rather than try to drag it down.
“Shaq takes hating to new levels,” wrote one fan on X. “Zion had a triple-double. That’s always an impressive night.”
While two career triple-doubles don’t sound like a lot, one fan made sure to mention that it’s the same amount that O’Neal has totaled for his career.
“This is Zion’s 2nd triple double,” one fan posted. “Sounds few right? But here’s a fun fact: Shaq only has 2 triple doubles in his entire NBA career. Lol sit this out, Shaq.”
Players like Shaq and other OGs put so much pressure and responsibility on these young stars that many of them are actively shying away from he role, like Anthony Edwards who said he doesn’t want to be the face of the NBA.
“This is exactly what players are talking about when not wanting to be the face of the league” wrote one fan.
As a 5x champion, Shaq has a lot of authority to speak on NBA topics and analyze today’s best NBA stars. Time and time again, however, Shaq likes to either hate on today’s players or hold them to impossible standards. This case with Zion isn’t even the first time he’s been “unimpressed” with objectively good play.
Shaq Is Not Impressed By The Detroit Pistons
Shaquille O’Neal has always been a tough one to please and it’s not exclusive to players. Speaking on his podcast, Shaq also downplayed the recent achievements of the Pistons, who are sixth in the East after one of the most miserable seasons in franchise history.
“They’re boring, too. They are four games under .500. You wanna brag about a team that’s 32-26? Stop it,” said Shaq. “That’s not success. 40-20, then we talk about it. The Detroit Pistons ain’t winning no championship, stop it.”
While the Pistons may not be title favorites, they have been one of the league’s best stories all year with Cade Cunningham leading them to a much-improved season. They are 7-3 in their last 10 games and are a lock to secure the sixth playoff spot in the East.
While many fans would argue that the Pistons have done enough to earn praise from the media, Shaq says they aren’t even close. As a 5x champion, the Diesel only sees things through one lens: winning. Since neither the Pistons nor Zion Williamson have achieved playoff success recently, Shaq will not give them the time of day and many fans have a problem with it.
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