On the recently concluded WNBA Draft night red carpet, the class of 2024 had to face some tough questions from interviewers. In fact, they had to choose between a “blindfolded” Caitlin Clark and a prime Shaquille O’Neal to win a hypothetical Three-Point Contest. The answers weren’t surprising. But they were incredibly lopsided as almost all of the athletes picked a “blindfolded” Clark to prevail over a prime Shaq in a long-range contest.
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Even Angel Reese, whom Shaq affectionately calls his “niece”, ‘turned on’ the big fella. Not only did she turn on her “uncle”, but also gave him a piece of advice. The Chicago Sky Center was quite sure about her choice in this case. “I’m going Caitlin Clark. I gotta be realistic here. It don’t matter if she blindfolded or not. She got make em, trust me. You gotta get in the gym, Shaq, like you tell me,” Reese quipped.
Apart from that, Sparks-bound Cameron Brink also had no hesitation in picking the Fever guard. Meanwhile, Reese’s former rival and now Chicago Sky teammate Kamilla Cardoso also gave Shaq no chance. Jacy Sheldon, Rickea Jackson, and Nika Muhl also shared similar sentiments.
However, the #1 draft pick herself, Caitlin Clark, didn’t believe that she could put on a blindfold and beat a prime O’Neal in the long-range contest. The humble star gave the 3x NBA Finals MVP a thumbs-up in this case. “Shaq. I mean blindfolded is crazy. I can’t see the rim. I’ll let Shaq take that one,” Clark replied jovially.
When he got a whiff of these comments, Shaq shared the video on his Instagram story, but didn’t write anything. Despite his favorite niece Reese abandoning him, he shared her comments on the same. Even though Shaq has only scored one three-pointer in his career, the big man has improved his shooting over the years.
After all, this is the same man who calls himself “The Black Steph Curry” and repeatedly engages in three-point contests with his Inside the NBA crewmates. So it isn’t crazy to think that Shaq could beat Clark in a shooting contest where she’s blindfolded.
Shaquille O’Neal has improved his three-point shooting
Shaquille O’Neal attempted just 22 three-pointers in 1,207 games. The three-pointer he made was also a deep-range heave in a buzzer-beater situation. While he shied away from the three-point line during his NBA career, Shaq has improved the ability to knock down threes when he is in practice or pick-up situations. In 2017, he was seen practicing with James Hunt along with his sons Shaqir and Sharif O’Neal. During the practice session, the 4x NBA champion nailed long-range shots quite easily and even declared himself the “Black Steph Curry”.
In 2023, the 15x NBA All-Star took on Charles Barkley during a three-point contest on the Inside the NBA set. O’Neal emerged as the winner and break danced to celebrate his achievement. Since then he has participated in multiple contests on the show and they have produced both funny and surprising results.
