Social media is the reason behind smaller NBA markets being able to catch up to the league’s juggernauts. Players no longer have to rely on their location to dictate their business. Their name is their business.
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That has become a big talking point regarding Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future with the Milwaukee Bucks. Shaquille O’Neal believes the Greek Freak can continue to thrive in the small market, but ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith says Shaq is wrong.
Every offseason, there’s a star who becomes the talk of the league. This year, Antetokounmpo is the topic of conversation. The Bucks’ disappointing past three seasons have raised the level of uncertainty about who Giannis will play for in 2025-2026.
In his playing days, Shaquille O’Neal went through similar circumstances as Giannis, leaving the small market Orlando Magic to join one of the biggest markets in the NBA, the Los Angeles Lakers. Despite his experience, he views Antetokounmpo’s situation differently.
“When I was coming up, it was a small market, you’re too small, you probably need to go to a big market,” O’Neal said on the Good Word with Goodall podcast. “But now every market is the same.”
Shaq also acknowledged that the lack of pressure in small markets in comparison to big markets is another key differentiator. Smith agreed with everything O’Neal said up to that point.
“That’s one of the criteria that the great ones look to point to themselves and what they did in that market,” Smith said on ESPN’s First Take. In an attempt to further cement his point, Smith used Shaq himself as an example.
“Shaq was one of those people. It wasn’t just about him doing what he did in Orlando before and then LA; it was the expectations. It was knowing that [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar] had won a chip there,” Smith proclaimed.
Not every player can succeed under the bright lights of New York, Los Angeles or Chicago. For those who can, it transcends their names among the legends who were able to achieve such remarkable feats.
As a result, Smith believes that if Giannis were to win a title with a team of such caliber as the Lakers, it would speak volumes to his legacy.
All this talk about Antetokounmpo’s future doesn’t guarantee the two-time MVP will be on a different team next season, as Giannis will continue to be one of the league’s biggest draws.
