“Shaquille O’Neal went platinum off fame, not lyrics”: JaVale McGee snubs the Lakers legend from his ‘top 3 NBA rappers’ list and anoints Damian Lillard as the ‘GOAT’ league rapper

Samir Mehdi | 17/09/2021
“Shaquille O’Neal went platinum off fame, not lyrics”: JaVale McGee snubs the Lakers legend from his ‘top 3 NBA rappers’ list and anoints Damian Lillard as the ‘GOAT’ league rapper

JaVale McGee snubs Shaquille O’Neal from his top 3 NBA rappers of all time list, giving Damian Lillard the number one spot and gives his reasoning for it too. 

In terms of accolades and accomplishments in the music industry, Shaquille O’Neal is the undisputed ‘greatest of all time’ amongst his peers in the NBA. He’s had a platinum record and gold record and though his latter two projects didn’t fare well critically or commercially, his impact on the ‘rap-game’ when it comes to NBA players indulging in it is undeniable. 

Shaquille O’Neal even went ‘bar-for-bar’ against Damian Lillard a year or so ago on social media with the Blazers superstar, for the most part, having unanimously won. Dame DOLLA is someone who takes his music quite seriously and it’s clear he’s garnered a significant amount of respect from ‘OGs within the rap landscape.

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As for the rest of the league, guys like Allen Iverson, Victor Oladipo, and even LeBron James have dipped their toes in getting into the booth and recording a few tracks. 

JaVale McGee doesn’t show love to Shaquille O’Neal when talking about his discography. 

Shaquille O’Neal and JaVale McGee have been at odds with one another for well over half a decade, with it all stemming from the infamous, ‘Shaqtin’ a Fool’ segment. McGee has recently even come out and reiterated that that show was detrimental to his career. 

While on ‘Club Shay Shay’, JaVale was asked by Shannon Sharpe who his top 3, in order, were when it came to NBA players who could rap. He gave Damian Lillard the top spot and rounded out the list with Allen Iverson and Lou Williams. When questioned on why he didn’t have Shaquille O’Neal on there, JaVale said Shaq went platinum off fame, not lyrics.

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It’s quite obvious that there is some resentment from McGee’s side towards the Lakers legend, and rightfully so. O’Neal had NBA fans believe that the 3x champion wasn’t an NBA-caliber big-man at one point, which couldn’t be further from the truth.  

Post Edited By: Samir Mehdi
JaVale McGee Lakers Shaquille O'Neal

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Samir Mehdi

Samir Mehdi is a senior strategist for the NBA division at The Sportsrush. Ever since he was 13 years old, he’s been obsessed with the game of basketball. From watching Kobe Bryant’s highlights on YouTube to now, analyzing and breaking down every single game on League Pass, Samir’s passion for the game is unwavering. He's a complete basketball junkie who not only breaks down current games but also keenly watches ones from the 60s’ and 70s’ while also reading comprehensive books on the history of the league. Samir’s life revolves around basketball and he hopes that shows in his work. Aside from work, he loves to spend time in the gym and with his friends at social gatherings.

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