“I’m the best” is a phrase thrown around by many, including some who are not exactly in the ‘best’ club. Of course, a lot of players in the NBA are boastful and far from diplomatic when they are asked to compare themselves with a rival. Perhaps that’s what made Cade Cunningham’s comments about his rivalry with Jalen Green so special. Shaquille O’Neal certainly found it so.
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Cunningham and Green have been near opposites in their approach since they went first and second overall, respectively, in the 2021 NBA Draft. Cade has been in his own lane while attempting to lift the Detroit Pistons to relevance. Green, on the other hand, has been proudly calling himself one of the best young players in the NBA despite not even being widely considered a good starter.
It takes a certain level of maturity to talk in a measured manner while giving a take on oneself. It’s something young players so frequently miss. Considering many of the players who enter the NBA are coming from years of hearing about how incredible they are, it’s understandable how the idea gets so internalized that it leads to boastfulness. Cunningham is different here.
After a mid-January matchup between the two, Cunningham was brought on to do a postgame interview with TNT. His measured response impressed many. “I think it’s exactly that you wanna compete against each other,” Cunningham had said.
“They’ve always put us up against each other since high school. As far as who’s better, I think we both enjoy to head up against each other,” he added. And Shaq loved this answer.
In his recent podcast, the Lakers legend recalled when the Detroit guard gave this statement. Shaq found the answer to be diplomatic and “corporate”. He praised Cunningham heavily, as he remembered how Cunningham “gave him that look”, which made Shaq realize that he was “real”.
“I said something about Jalen Green, he had a look in his face, I was like, ‘Oh, he’s one of us’,” Shaq said. “His response was like, it’s exactly what I needed.”
Cunningham refused to go all out and call himself the better player during the segment Shaq was referring to. Additionally, the Pistons star, who had a career-high average of 24 PPG this season, insisted rather coolly that he doesn’t need to shake hands with Green to show respect. They both know it’s there.
Shaq probably got taken back to the good old days when there were some rather feisty, but respectful beefs going around in the NBA. It’s something he misses.
As for the corporate answer, Shaq has suggested that there’s a lot more animosity between the two than Cunningham lets the world know. After all, Cunningham and Green have been at each other’s throats since their AAU days.
Both have gone on to become players far better than their counterparts back then and play sizable roles for their respective teams since. This rivalry is sure to blossom into something bigger in the coming years.
