NBA stars are among the highest-paid athletes in the world, but their salaries have been a hot topic of debate lately. For those who oppose the massive paychecks, the news won’t be any easier to swallow. Contracts are set to grow even larger, thanks to the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and the NBA’s massive $76 billion media rights deal. Shaquille O’Neal, for one, isn’t a huge fan.
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It’s not that Shaq doesn’t want to see the NBA’s best players earn hundreds of millions of dollars. The issue, for him, is that some individuals are getting paid at that level without actually deserving it. An example? Rudy Gobert.
O’Neal has a vendetta against the French four-time Defensive Player of the Year winner. He even once called him the worst player in NBA history. Even worse than Ben Simmons, someone Shaq has berated multiple times in the past. So, when Shaq and Adam Lefkoe were speaking about the CBA on the latest edition of Big Podcast alongside the Morris Twins (Markieff and Marcus), he immediately muscled in his Gobert hatred into the conversation.
“But what if you’re not an upper-tier guy and you get paid?” Shaq began. Lefkoe obviously took the bait and asked who he was talking about. The Los Angeles Lakers legend had his response locked and loaded. “Rudy Gobert is an upper-tier guy?”
The audience laughed, and so did the twins. Lefkoe tried to argue that Gobert’s accolades and the need for teams to retain star power justified his massive contract. “I would have gotten rid of them,” stated Shaq after screaming obscenities.
Marcus jumped right in. “He’s not that good. Ain’t gonna lie. He can play defense,” he opined. “Can he?” fired back Shaq, who simply wasn’t ready to let go.
Marcus and Markieff then asked Shaq to remind them what they call Gobert whenever he has to guard a real big man. “Barbecue Chicken alert,” he responded to more laughter. “But congratulations, he got the money. But he’s not a top-tier guy.”
The funny thing is, Gobert’s contract isn’t even that massive in the grand scheme of things. He’s currently on a three-year, $109 million deal with the Timberwolves. Sure, it might be a slight overpay, but it’s not like Minnesota won’t throw that, and more, at Anthony Edwards in the near future.
With the new CBA and the league’s skyrocketing revenue, Gobert’s deal is more like a light financial slap on the wrist for Minnesota’s long-term outlook. His play, especially on the defensive end, is dominant enough to justify every penny of that contract.
This won’t stop Shaq from criticizing Gobert. The ex-Utah Jazz man even accused the Diesel of just spewing nonsense about his career to remain relevant in basketball conversations. Sadly for Gobert, because of who Shaq is, he will be relevant forever.
It’s also worth noting that Shaq has rarely said anything positive about Gobert. But just this past postseason, he did give the three-time All-Star some credit for his dominant performance in the Wolves’ opening-round victory over the Lakers.
Did Shaq deliver that praise like someone who didn’t really want to say it? Absolutely. But that’s part of O’Neal’s comedic charm. Maybe, like with Dwight Howard, he’ll eventually come around and acknowledge Gobert’s contributions. Maybe this is just his way of motivating himself. Or maybe he genuinely can’t stand him. Either way, Rudy is laughing all the way to the bank.
