NBA veteran Dwyane Wade suggests Shaquille O’Neal and Rudy Gobert resolve their issues at the 2023 All-Star weekend in Utah.
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Regarded widely as the most dominant player to step on the NBA hardwood, Shaquille O’Neal never backed down from a fight. The Lakers legend was as competitive as it gets, even during his rookie years, unafraid to face the likes of a Hakeem Olajuwon and David Robinson.
A physical specimen, Shaq instilled fear in his opponents, who were beat at the sight of his seven-foot frame. Though it’s been more than a decade since the Big Diesel retired, his ultra-competitive nature refuses to slow down. The most recent example is his jibe at Jazz big man Rudy Gobert.
.@spiceadams: “I think Rudy can hold you to like 12 points.”@SHAQ: “Yeah…in the first 3 minutes!” 😂#TheBigPodcast: https://t.co/kEWKCjYB3O pic.twitter.com/Yfz3jutQRN
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 9, 2022
It was hilarious to see former NFL player and television host Spice Adams play the role of an instigator. Shaq’s above statement was another testament to his competitive zeal, who took Adams’ comments personally.
“It’s against my religion for somebody to hold me one-on-one. I take that personally. I do,” said the Big Diesel.
While one thought this was just another instance of Shaq having fun and letting everyone know he continues to be the most dominant NBA center, Rudy Gobert did not hold back either.
Rudy fires back at Shaq in our comments 👀🍿 pic.twitter.com/ReqZZ6Z6WZ
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 9, 2022
Shaq’s former teammate and Jazz part-owner Dwyane Wade offered a solution with the two big men going back and forth.
Dwyane Wade asks Shaquille O’Neal and Rudy Gobert to settle their claims at next year’s ASG in Utah.
D-Wade sent a wave of excitement amongst hoop fans by proposing a 1v1 between O’Neal and Gobert. It was interesting to see Flash play the role of a referee having relations with both parties, respectively. Though it seems highly unlikely, it will be a sight to see the seven-footers square off against each other.
Y’all wanna settle this at AllStar weekend in Utah next year? 💰 https://t.co/yRx8BvXbei
— DWade (@DwyaneWade) May 10, 2022
With offense being Shaq’s go-to and defense Gobert’s, it would have been a duel to watch for the ages. However, the two big men share an age gap of two decades, with the Big Diesel recently turning 50-years of age. Thus a 29-year-old Gobert would hold the edge, courtesy of sports science.
Though Gobert still has a couple of years left off his prime, the French superstar is nowhere near Shaq’s milestone achievements. While one cannot deny Gobert’s prowess on the defensive end, he still has a long way to go when it comes to being mentioned in the same breath as the Lakers legend.
It will be interesting to see what Shaq and Gobert have to say about D-Wade’s plan to determine their respective claims.