Three-point barrages are in vogue in the NBA nowadays, and the legends of the game haven’t been shy in voicing their disapproval of the dramatic change in playing style. That includes Shaquille O’Neal, who segued into a rant about the inherent softness and lack of offensive creativity he sees across the league now.
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“This game we’re watching now, I don’t know what the f**k we’re watching now,” Shaq said while talking to comedian Godfrey on The Big Podcast.
“It’s soft and I’ve said this a million times, it’s soft because everyone’s doing the same thing,” he added.
Godfrey chimed in, comparing the staleness in the music industry to that of the current NBA. He emphasized that it wasn’t the fault of the players but of the people running the league.
“We’re getting mediocre s**t right now,” the comedian started. “And I think the same thing is happening with the NBA… I go ‘Yo, get some crashing the boards.’ Shaq used to crash the boards! Knock motherf***ers down.”
The topic came up when Godfrey began questioning if the AND1 streetball approach was better compared to the modern NBA’s playstyle. AND1 was known for its lax ruleset, deep-range shooting, and prioritizing of entertainment value. With the league’s current emphasis on three-pointers, though, it’s hard to compare the NBA’s creativity with that of the AND1 Mixtape Tour.
Adam Lefkoe echoed The Diesel’s sentiment, stating the league’s excessive emphasis on three-point shooting was taking away from the physicality that made the former generation of stars so special.
“A 50% shooter of a two, compared to a 40% shooter of a three, mathematically, it makes more sense to shoot the three. But we’ve gotten to the point now where I think we’ve lost… this,” Lefkoe added while holding up a pillow depicting one of Shaq’s monstrous jams. “We’ve lost the dunks.”
O’Neal continued, lamenting the league’s lack of unique talents and the complicated blueprints that were employed back in the day to stop them.
“We’ve lost chasing the mystery,” Shaq started while reminiscing how his teams would have to deliberate how to contain the likes of Patrick Ewing and Michael Jordan.
“Now, switchin’. I saw the Lakers were playing the Spurs, and you have Austin Reaves on f**king Wembanyama. I turned the f**king TV off. How you switch a 5-11 guy on a 7-5…,” added O’Neal.
Shaq has criticized the modern NBA before
The Hall of Fame big man has voiced his concerns regarding the NBA’s deviance from physicality on multiple occasions. Shaq recently shared his discontent with the league-wide boring quality of play. He cited Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors as the catalysts, stating that the rest of the league is simply attempting to replicate the Dubs’ recent success.
O’Neal’s dissatisfaction was so pointed that NBA Commissioner Adam Silver responded to the outburst. Silver first made a friendly jab regarding Shaq’s own lack of offensive innovation. The Big Fella was prominently renowned for his physical dominance, not finesse or creativity.
The commissioner then responded by reinforcing the league’s priority of accessibility, comparing the NBA’s reach to that of the NFL’s Manningcast.
