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“You Don’t Wanna Mess With God”: Shaquille O’Neal Elucidates How Talking Trash With Michael Jordan Was Harmful

Advait Jajodia
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“You Don’t Wanna Mess With God”: Shaquille O’Neal Elucidates How Talking Trash With Michael Jordan Was Harmful

Michael Jordan is one of the few players who shouldn’t be provoked by talking trash during the course of a game.

Michael Jordan was one player that even the most elite defenders in the league dreaded going against. Apart from having one of the most lethal offensive arsenals, the Chicago Bulls guard had the necessary skills to defend his constant trash-talking.

One of the many reasons why Jordan was so feared was because the 6-foot-6 was absolutely ruthless while talking smack with opponents. Throughout the course of MJ’s illustrious 15-year career, we have heard of way too many incidents when His Airness was brutal with his choice of words.

Also Read: Michael Jordan’s Sister Once Accused James Jordan of S**ual Assault in a Very Dark Story

Using trash talking as some sort of motivation, Air Jordan would switch to a different beast while being in a verbal altercation during the course of the game. Many players would prefer to not awaken Mike’s inner demon and would rather save themselves from embarrassment.

“You got to stay away from Michael Jordan”: Shaquille O’Neal

Shaquille O’Neal was one of the more animated guys in the league. Being a dominant center, Shaq loved intimidating his competition and speaking trash to them all game long.

O’Neal once revealed that he trash-talked with everyone he went up against… everyone except His Airness.

In an interview with Patrick Bet-David, the Los Angeles Lakers legend disclosed just how harmful it was to trash talk, MJ. A few weeks ago, during an appearance on the “PDB Podcast”, the 7-foot-1 big man revealed:

“Michael Jordan. You don’t want to mess with God. You got to stay away from Mike. Leave that man alone.”

Shaq was a bully in the paint, yet didn’t gather the courage to talk smack to Black Jesus.

Goes without saying, players who didn’t even play the same position as the combo-guard, hesitated to guard MJ. This goes to prove just how sensational an athlete Michael Jordan was. What do you think? Was Shaq right to keep his mouth shut?

Also Read: Michael Jordan Once Asked LeBron James’ Favorite Player for an Autograph!

About the author

Advait Jajodia

Advait Jajodia

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Advait Jajodia, an NBA and Tennis journalist for The SportsRush, has had a passion for both sports for over a decade. His admiration for Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry, and Rafael Nadal pushed him to gain a profound understanding of the sports. With a background as a multi-sport athlete, Advait uses his experience on the hardwood and the court to offer insightful analysis. Over three years of dedicated sports journalism has equipped the 22-year-old with a unique perspective, reflected in his prolific portfolio of 4,500+ articles.

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