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“They Can Control Shaquille O’Neal And LeBron James, Not Me”: $500 Million Worth Kanye West Slams NBA Stars For Being Controlled By Media

Samir Mehdi
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“They Can Control Shaquille O’Neal And LeBron James, Not Me”: $500 Million Worth Kanye West Slams NBA Stars For Being Controlled By Media

Kanye West has finally been canceled by a majority of the public due to his recent verbal tirade that saw him make antisemitic comments. Him getting dropped by Adidas aligned with Kyrie Irving and his debacle with the Jewish community that saw him get suspended from the NBA for a minimum of 5 games. 

Many have blamed West’s outlandish comments on the fact that he may be having another manic episode. This time around, he doesn’t have anybody to keep him grounded so with each public appearance, he seems to make things worse for himself. Worst of all, he publicly sided with Irving following his post about the ‘Hebrews to N*groes’ documentary. 

West took to his social media following Kyrie’s controversy to call him a ‘real one’, stirring up even more of a debate.

Also read: ‘Jewish’ Adam Silver Refused Commenting On LeBron James’s Defense Against Kyrie Irving Amid Antisemitism Debacle

Kanye West goes off on NBA stars like LeBron James and Shaquille O’Neal for being controlled by the media 

Kanye West has always been a bastion of free speech. It’s what led to him being in the place that he is today. So, when talking to the reporters while in his car, he held little to nothing back. 

The ‘Graduation’ artist called out the likes of LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal, and Charles Barkley, claiming that ‘they’ [the media] can control them. He would then firmly state that while those big-name celebrities can be controlled, he cannot be.

While this is true and that West cannot be controlled, he can be limited. He’s lost a variety of sponsorships and endorsements, he’s fallen from billionaire status (current reported net worth of $500 million) in a major way, and he’s continuously banned on Instagram and unbanned depending on his behavior. 

Like Andrew Tate, if he continues to spread hateful speech online, he might not have a platform to speak on any longer. 

LeBron James and Shaquille O’Neal spoke on Kyrie Irving 

While they have not spoken on Kanye West as of yet, both LeBron James and Shaquille O’Neal have shared their thoughts on Kyrie Irving and his recent controversy. 

Shaq was quite straightforward and called him an idiot on ‘Inside the NBA’. Charles Barkley followed suit. James however, while he did denounce Irving’s actions, did go on to claim that he knows his former Cavaliers teammate is not antisemitic. 

Some progress on the Kyrie front is that he’s met with Joe Tsai and his wife along with Adam Silver recently. Their conversations were reportedly very productive and positive. It seems as though the Nets will certainly be getting their superstar guard back in due time.

Also read: “Someone is Telling Kareem Abdul Jabbar to Stay Relevant”: Kyrie Irving Finds Support From Unexpected Source in Antisemitic Debacle

About the author

Samir Mehdi

Samir Mehdi

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Samir Mehdi is a senior strategist for the NBA division at The Sportsrush. Ever since he was 13 years old, he’s been obsessed with the game of basketball. From watching Kobe Bryant’s highlights on YouTube to now, analyzing and breaking down every single game on League Pass, Samir’s passion for the game is unwavering. He's a complete basketball junkie who not only breaks down current games but also keenly watches ones from the 60s’ and 70s’ while also reading comprehensive books on the history of the league. Samir’s life revolves around basketball and he hopes that shows in his work. Aside from work, he loves to spend time in the gym and with his friends at social gatherings.

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