It’s no secret that Shaquille O’Neal is not the biggest fan of modern NBA big men. And he has good reason to dislike the current breed of Centers in the league. Growing up in a time when big guys dominated the league, Shaq made sure to carry on the mantle during his illustrious stint in the NBA. However, the reputation and influence of Centers and big men in the league have declined in recent times with the rise in three-point shooting. While most guys with size have struggled to adapt to the new system, relegating themselves to role players rather than franchise superstars, Shaq has time and again stressed the importance of sticking to the basics. That’s one of the reasons why he has always praised Giannis Antetokounmpo and more recently, Nikola Jokic, for their playing style. However, players like Joel Embiid have had to bear the brunt of the Diesel’s rage.
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After the Boston Celtics ousted the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2023 Eastern Conference Semifinals in May, Shaq called out Joel Embiid for failing to fulfill his role as a Center. The Diesel ripped apart the 2023 NBA MVP for his game on The Rich Eisen Show, saying, “I’m watching how these guys play now, you know, especially like, Joel Embiid. He’s 6-11, he’s not posting up. He’s shooting jumpers, and then you’ve got the nerve to say, you got the nerve to say, ‘Me and James (Harden) can’t do it by ourselves?’ Get your big a** down in the paint.” Shaq has now once again brought up Embiid’s name during the offseason, this time in a comparison with himself.
Shaquille O’Neal believes he would wipe the floor with Joel Embiid
Shaq is a big fan of posting hypothetical matchups and fictitious scenarios on his Instagram stories. For instance, he recently posted a matchup between some of the greatest players of all time and claimed that his team would destroy Michael Jordan’s side in a seven-game series.
In a similar note, the Big Fella shared a post on his Instagram claiming that, “Joel Embiid would lock up and contain a Prime Shaq.” The four-time NBA champion reposted a screenshot of the post with the words “Hold up“. He then proceeded to ask his fans their opinions on the matchup in the caption, while not being very subtle(or humble for that matter) about his own, “i like these conversations. give me your thoughts. you already kno mine. #barbecuechickenalert.”
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Embiid has failed time and again to show up for his team on big occasions deep into the playoffs. The six-time All-Star had just 15 points in the pivotal Game 7 against the Celtics in this year’s East semifinals. On the other hand, Shaq led the Lakers to three consecutive NBA championships in the early 2000s. Despite having Kobe Bryant on the roster, the 7’1 giant averaged all-time numbers in the NBA Finals, and bagged the Finals MVP honors on all three occasions. And he did so by terrorizing the paint, instead of trying to make tough mid-range shots and fadeaway jumpers like Embiid.
Shaq points out the difference between Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid
The drama regarding the 2023 MVP voting culminated in this year’s NBA Finals, where Nikola Jokic showed why he’s currently the best player in the league. The Joker called out, through his performance, all the MVP voters who chose Embiid over him(including Shaq) despite posting all-time numbers in the regular season and leading the Nuggets to the best record in the West.
However, Shaq amended his take by highlighting the difference between Embiid and Jokic during the NBA Finals. “That’s the difference I think between him[Jokic] and Joel Embiid. Joel Embiid, MVP, settle for a lot of jumpers, Joker can do both[shoot jumpers and dominate the paint],” the Lakers legend said, during the broadcast of the NBA Finals. Shaq even welcomed Jokic to the “big man alliance” after the Nuggets’ Game 1 victory against the Miami Heat.
