Shaquille O’Neal’s comments on Rudy Gobert were a hot topic of discussion during Joe Budden’s appearance on the Club 520 podcast. Gobert caught a few strays when Shaq appeared on Complex last week with his son, Myles, and claimed the reigning DPOY is the ‘worst player of all time’.
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After appending that “Ben Simmons is another bum“, O’Neal broke down what irked him about these players. “If you sign a contract for 250 [million], show me 250,” the four-time NBA champion explained.
According to Jeff Teague, O’Neal has no reason to lash out at the new generation for securing larger contracts. Not just because the NBA has financially grown over the last two decades due to evolving CBAs, but because so has Shaq’s estate. Teague candidly stated, “If I was a billionaire like Shaq about to be, bruh, I wouldn’t give a f***.”
Since retiring, the 7-footer has developed a robust business portfolio, growing his net worth to over $500 million. For Jeff Teague, O’Neal’s comments on the Frenchman were unnecessary because “he still make way more money than Rudy Gobert.”
It’s also quite telling that most younger players that Shaquille O’Neal has publicly criticized, have been big men. Shaq seems to be comparing their value to the contracts he earned as a player. The Complex interview provided some new insights into his perspective too. ‘Big Diesel’ shared how his body still feels the toll from his playing days “because I played for my 120.”
“So you got guys like him that f*** the system over. They’re making all this money and they can’t f***ing play. So I don’t respect guys like that,” Shaquille O’Neal concluded.
On Club 520, the hosts summed up O’Neal’s frustration as; “Why you getting paid $200 million and you putting up half the numbers I did?”
Moments like these go to show that comparison is a constant at any level of success. Shaq’s frustration is all too human but it unfortunately leads him to dragging another man’s career. Even more peculiar when that man is a four-time Defensive Player of the Year.
Much like he does in the paint, Rudy Gobert didn’t allow O’Neal to take an easy shot. The Frenchman took to his X account to openly respond to the Hall of Famer. Gobert wrote, “It is sad to see someone that has accomplished as much as you did @SHAQ both in sport and business still be triggered by another man’s finances and accomplishments.”
It is sad to see someone that has accomplished as much as you did @SHAQ both in sport and business still be triggered by another man’s finances and accomplishments. I get the entertainment part but unlike other folks, you don’t need that stuff to stay relevant. https://t.co/KPHs2VmfIb
— Rudy Gobert (@rudygobert27) September 5, 2024
If there’s any takeaway from this situation, it might have come from the mouth of Club 520’s guest, Joe Budden. “$6-700 million, you know I just feel like those stories gotta live in your house. You gotta tell your kids,” the retired rapper recommended.
