Shaquille O’Neal and Russell Westbrook made headlines when they starred in an on-court exchange during a recent Orlando Magic-Los Angeles Lakers game. The former center and the point guard had a little interaction where Shaq gave some advice to Russ, who was playing too fast for him.
Many people thought they were beefing, but Shaq shut down that notion. The Big Diesel simply said that he tried to help Westbrook pace himself since he was going too fast on the court.
That didn’t change anything for people, who still think Shaq and Russ are beefing. The 4x NBA champion cleared the air once again, saying he’s not entertaining any feud with Westbrook and the 2017 NBA MVP feels the same, as they respect each other.
During a recent edition of The Big Podcast with Shaq, the former Laker opened up on his current relationship with Westbrook, showing his respect to Brodie and saying there’s no issue between them.
“And that’s what happens with online. Why am I having a beef with a man who is doing his job on the court? I’m a fan of Russ, he’s taking a lot of heat right now. Sometimes you need that calm voice that you respect, and I know he respects me.”
“So I’m watching and I figure out the problem: He’s going too fast. Like when you’re in a situation where everybody wants you to do well, sometimes you just gotta slow down and analyze it. So I’m just telling him, ‘Slow down.’ No, I don’t have beef with players.”
Knowing the personalities of both stars, it wouldn’t be crazy to think that there’s some bad blood between them. But, Shaq made sure to shut that down, giving props to Westbrook and explaining he’s just trying to help him. Brodie had an excellent game on Friday night, although the Lakers couldn’t get the win against Charlotte Hornets.
He finished the game with 35 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists. Fans hope this is a turning point for Westbrook, who needs to step up now that LeBron James is sidelined and Anthony Davis is returning from another injury.
