Plenty has changed in the NBA since Shaquille O’Neal’s time as a dominant force on the hardwood. But one aspect of the game remains unchanged—the players’ distaste for the league’s officiating. Stars today continue to disagree with referees consistently, sometimes even speaking out at their own expense if the officiating was egregious enough. During his prime, the Diesel was also a vocal critic of NBA officiating.
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Shaq, in fact, went on an expletive-laden rant against the referees after a close 84-83 victory over the Toronto Raptors in 2004.
The outburst surprisingly came after a dominant 36-point showing from the Big Fella. After a reporter acknowledged the big man’s frustration with the officiating, the 15-time All-Star brushed past the fact that the Lakers had pulled off the win, deciding to take the opportunity to blast the refereeing on live television.
The then 31-year-old also bashed then commissioner David Stern, underlining that it is his responsibility to make sure officials don’t make themselves the focus of each contest.
“David Stern wonder why the league is losing money, this is why. Get some people in there that understand the game and don’t try to take over the f***ing game because people pay good money to see good athletes play,” Shaq said during the on-court interview.
The Hall of Famer underlined that the leaguewide officiating was the primary reason the NBA was losing money at the time. This comment may have been the nail in the coffin for his proceeding one-game suspension and $295,000 fine.
Many stars in today’s game have echoed the legend’s sentiment as well, often airing out their grievances with officials in postgame press conferences. However, even after the stiff punishment, this wasn’t the last time O’Neal was punished for publicly criticizing officials.
Shaq was also fined for criticizing officials during a postseason matchup
Even after he moved on from Los Angeles, Shaq was an outspoken detractor of the league’s officiating, once again stirring the pot following a postseason contest with the Miami Heat. Following an unimpressive eight-point, four-rebound, five-foul performance in Game 3 of the team’s first round matchup with the Chicago Bulls, the New Jersey native again placed the blame on the officiating.
After solid showings in the first two games of the series, O’Neal shared how he felt a dud coming in when he saw former official Bob Delaney was working. The Diesel emphasized how he felt “humiliated” after the loss, and although this was much less offensive than his past tantrum, the Heat center was still fined $25,000 for the comment.
