Shaq has lengthy been crucial of NBA huge males and has as soon as once more taken intention at Rudy Gobert.
The massive fella raised a variety of eyebrows when he questioned Gobert’s defensive skills.
“I by no means thought he was an excellent defensive participant,” Shaq mentioned on his podcast this week. “See, what it’s, there’s not a variety of facilities which can be making him play protection. Like, he’s not doing that s**t in opposition to Joker… He’s 7’6”, in fact, if you happen to lay it up, he’s going to dam it. However protection to me is guard that man and shut him down. You need to impress me? Maintain Joker below 15 factors. All that weakside shot blocking, that’s cool. However it’s not going to work in opposition to guys like me and Joker.”
Shaq then proceeded to chuckle at Gobert’s primary stats.
“If I had been 42, I’d be making Rudy Gobert cash,” he mentioned. “Twelve factors and eight rebounds? I might do this s**t proper now… making $250 million… averaging twelve factors.”
It didn’t take lengthy for the inevitable backlash to reach, with social media flooded with folks calling out Shaq’s feedback.
Right here’s just a bit style:
Shaq is evaluating Rudy Gobert as a defender based mostly on the factors we used when Shaq was a participant. I feel that cuts to the core of why a variety of older gamers have these ridiculous takes. They’re evaluating gamers by the lens of a league that not actually exists.
— Sam Quinn (@SamQuinnCBS) March 13, 2024
Rudy Gobert This 12 months:
13.7 PPG12.9 RPG2.1 BPG65 FGpercent65 FT% (Could be Shaq’s Profession Excessive)104.2 Defensive Score (Leads NBA)Anchors the very best protection within the NBA.
Disrespect must cease pic.twitter.com/NSXohbCzA7
— MNMuse (@statmusewolves) March 13, 2024
Shaq’s feedback actually are weird contemplating Gobert has the very best particular person score of any participant within the NBA this season. He at present anchors the very best defence within the NBA and has beforehand gained three Defensive Participant of the Yr awards.
Clearly, there may be some private hangup happening right here for Shaq, who has a protracted historical past of bashing NBA huge males.
After years of unfairly calling out Dwight Howard with nonsensical criticism, Gobert is effectively and actually his new favorite punching bag.
And if all of the reactions on-line are something to go by, lots of people have had sufficient of Shaq’s senseless hating.
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