Despite the immense success he enjoyed at the top of his game, Shaquille O’Neal still faced his fair share of haters. The Hall of Fame center was among the most dominant forces in NBA history during his prime, but struggled mightily at the free-throw line, opening himself up to jabs and negative comments. Still, the four-time champion rarely allowed the noise to get the better of him, a trait he still boasts today.
Advertisement
Not everyone is as adept at ignoring their haters, though. When Shaq discussed the topic with Russell “Russ” Vitale, the musician didn’t have the same carefree approach about his detractors’ opinions. Russ is an artist with a dedicated fan base, but his unique style has caused a divide among listeners. The 32-year-old is no stranger to negative comments.
But, unlike The Diesel, Russ is more bothered by the negative comments he reads on social media. When Shaq questioned why he even reads the comments, Russ didn’t have an exact answer. The rapper did share several reasons why he’s so inclined to see the opinions of others, though.
“You know what it is? It’s read them because I’m like, looking for the bad,” Russ said while trying to come up with a valid reason for his comment-scrolling. “I want validation, like there’s that element of course … But then I read the comments, I see the negative ones, and it naturally bothers you because it’s also this disgusting need to be understood by the entire human race…”
Russ shared that his mentor told him to question whether negative comments directed at him were undoubtedly true before feeling a certain type of way about them. “If it’s not true, it completely loses its weight. Now, if it’s true, then there might actually be a lesson in there,” Russ continued.
Shaq approved of this wisdom, urging Russ to keep his mentor on board before sharing his own piece of advice. “A nobody should never influence a somebody,” the former MVP said. O’Neal stressed that as someone who is constantly under the media’s microscope, there’s no reason to pay any mind to people that aren’t a key part of your life.
“We waste time and we waste brain cells trying to be validated from nobodies,” Shaq continued. “I don’t wanna be validated by nobody. I wanna be validated by somebody … Mom, dad, brother, manager, boys … If it ain’t part of my panel, I don’t give a f*** what you say.”
The Lakers legend was adamant that people like himself and Russ should pay no mind to people who either haven’t accomplished what they have or don’t have the expertise for him to hear out their opinion. Shaq stressed to his guest and others that “the day you stop caring is the day you gonna blow up.”
Shaq has done things his way throughout his career and beyond, and it’s paid off. He’s one of the most renowned talents to ever touch a basketball, but he’s also been incredibly successful since hanging it up, as well. Shaq has created generational wealth for himself by not just ignoring the noise, but actively arguing against it so there’s certainly some merit to his sincere advice.
