Shaquille O’Neal Echoes Kobe Bryant’s Years Old ‘Accidental Basketball’ Sentiment

The rise of analytics in basketball has resulted in more three-point attempts and higher-quality looks, but this style of play’s impact on the league has been apparent in recent years. The late Kobe Bryant once spoke on this phenomenon, coining the playstyle “accidental basketball”, describing teams that simply swing the ball around until a shooter is open, regardless of the result.

This is a far cry from the days when big men would have post-plays designed to clear out the paint or isolation calls for the game’s dominant shot creators. Instead, the NBA continues to shift towards this “accidental basketball”, with teams shooting more threes than at any other period in league history.

Shaquille O’Neal, one of the modern game’s most vocal detractors, has apparently had enough of the trend, as the big man took to Instagram to re-post a video highlighting the Black Mamba’s memorable sentiment.

Shaq on IG pic.twitter.com/0NfxYrZ0bK

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Kobe explained how modern offenses drive him crazy because players don’t operate with a purpose. The emergence of copycat skillsets and the near-leaguewide ability to hit threes has taken creativity out of the game. Shaq didn’t explicitly give a reason for his recent post, but considering his recent quotes, it’s easy to infer that the Diesel was calling out teams who chuck up threes at will, essentially playing “accidental basketball.”

 

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Once the NBA’s most dominant center, it’s no surprise to see the Hall of Famer constantly criticize the league’s shift to three-point-centric offenses. The constant emphasis on spacing has left the league without a big man who exclusively controls the game down low. The lack of other physical superstar centers in the league today has notably struck a chord with Shaq.

The 53-year-old has thrown out his fair share of jabs at modern big men for shying away from physicality and preferring to shoot threes rather than bang inside.

Shaq called the NBA’s three-point explosion “boring”

O’Neal has lambasted the league’s further reliance on three-point shooting multiple times this season. The legend believes the current product has turned into a snooze fest.

“Everybody is running the same plays…Steph Curry and those guys messed it up. I don’t mind Golden State back in the day shooting threes, but every team isn’t a 3-point shooter. So why everybody has the same strategy? I think it makes the game boring.” Shaq said in an episode of The Big Podcast.

The four-time champion understands why a team that perfected their playstyle, like Steph and Kevin Durant’s Warriors, can get away with jumpers taking up most of their field goal attempts. However, he underlined how most teams can’t replicate what the two former MVPs accomplished in The Bay no matter how hard they try.

Shaq believes the leaguewide insistence to replicate what Golden State accomplished will only continue to hurt the NBA’s ratings.