In the latest episode of ‘The BIG Podcast” NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal took another shot at All-NBA center Rudy Gobert. While discussing the ranking of the league’s top centers, O’Neal agreed with his guest (former Heat point guard Mario Chalmers) that Gobert doesn’t match the hype, even going so far as to tag the 3x Defensive Player of the Year as an “overrated” defender.
“I never thought he was a great defensive player… See, what it is, there’s not a lot of centers that are making him play defense. Like, he’s not doing that sh*t against Joker,” said O’Neal. “He’s 7’6”, of course, if you lay it up, he’s going to block it. But defense to me is guard that guy and shut him down. You want to impress me? Hold Joker under 15 points. All that weakside shot blocking, that’s cool. But it’s not going to work against guys like me and Joker.”
O’Neal has been critical of Gobert for years now and the two have gone back and forth on several disagreements in recent history. The worst of it began in 2022 when Gobert signed a massive $200 million extension with the Utah Jazz, his team at the time.
Shaq was in disbelief over the deal and continues to maintain that Gobert is not worth the max-level contact that teams seem eager to give him today. For Shaq, Rudy does not meet the criteria of a proper big man and he doesn’t consider him on par with legends like himself, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, or Hakeem Olajuwon.
In response, Gobert has fought back many times and has often argued in vain to defend his legacy from Shaq’s criticism. But as a 3x All-Star who is on the verge of his fourth Defensive Player of the Year award, Gobert has let his game do most of the talking — with solid results so far.
Rudy Gobert Can Make History With The Timberwolves
Gobert joined the Timberwolves as part of an infamous blockbuster trade that is often discussed today. At the time, Minnesota was mocked for giving up five first-round picks for Gobert and they looked like fools when the team struggled to win games in their first year together.
Initially, Gobert looked like a shell of himself and his fit with Karl-Anthony Towns was exactly as the skeptics had predicted. This season, however, Gobert has led an impressive comeback which has the Wolves near the top of the West.
Averaging 13.7 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game this season, Gobert has been the anchor in the middle and the fuel behind Minnesota’s top-ranked defense, even if some doubt his overall impact on the floor. While not as versatile as other defenders in the league, Rudy’s size, length, and mobility make him the perfect rim protector in the modern NBA.
Unfortunately for the 6x All-Defensive star, the only way to truly prove himself, and prove Shaq wrong in the ultimate way, is to go out and do what nobody has done before: win a title with the Timberwolves. Only with that feat will Gobert ever earn the respect of O’Neal and join the ranks of other legendary bigs who came before him.
Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We really appreciate your support.
