NBA great Shaquille O’Neal weighs in on Stephen A. Smith’s harsh comments about former Thunder superstar Russell Westbrook.
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After a rough start to the season, the Washington Wizards have finally started to find their groove. Russell Westbrook especially looks rejuvenated and even made history very recently.
In the Wizard’s game against the Indiana Pacers, Westbrook performed magnificently. The 32-year-old had 35 points and 21 assists by the end of the game, something that had never been done before.
But despite the NBA community praising the player for making history, ESPN analyst Stephen. A. Smith instead questioned his lack of a ring so far in his career.
There have been several reactions from a host of parties since. And it seems that NBA great Shaquille O’Neal has felt the need to come forward with his two cents on the matter as well.
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Shaquille O’Neal defends Russell Westbrook against comments made by Stephen A. Smith
Shaquille O’Neal as an analyst can be pretty hit or miss at times. However, his thoughts on the situation here may just be something that the NBA community unanimously agrees with.
“A lot of people say certain things, that’s just the unfortunate part. When you’re a great player…people are always going to say, ‘but do you have a championship?’”
The Lakers legend continued on the matter.
Russell Westbrook on Stephen A. Smith
“One thing I won’t allow to happen anymore is let people create narratives & constantly just talking shit for no reason about me because I lay it on the line every night and I use my platform to be able to help people all across the world.” pic.twitter.com/8oJi0E4dwT
— Hoop District (@Hoop_District) March 31, 2021
“If you don’t get a championship, that’s not a knock. You can’t tell me Allen Iverson is not one of the greatest point guards (of all time). You can’t tell me John Stockton is not one of the greatest…you can’t tell me Karl Malone and Charles Barkley is not one of the greatest power forwards of all time. That’s just the unfortunate thing.”
Shaq further goes on to talk about how he and Dwayne Wade had to deal with a similar situation early in their career. And overall, defends Russell Westbrook completely, calling him a great player.
Most agree that Stephen A. Smith’s comments were a tad too harsh. And with Shaquille O’Neal now implying at the same as well, the ESPN analyst may just have to be a bit more careful about what he says on national television. Or maybe not, the man is a drama queen.
