Early September isn’t usually the time for basketball beef, but when it does happen, it’s usually over something very dumb. That’s the case with Shaq and Rudy Gobert right now, as the Hall of Famer couldn’t resist taking another shot at the French big man when he was asked by his son Myles who is the WOAT (worst of all time) NBA player.
Shaq immediately responded Gobert, before being reminded of his similar disdain for Ben Simmons (calling him “another bum”). His explanation for having those two at the top is their production compared to their compensation. While not many call him the worst player in history, Shaq is far from alone in criticizing Gobert for how much he gets paid when considering his impact on the offensive end. It’s been the constant complaint about Gobert being on a max deal, and while he’s elite on the defensive end, his impact diminishing in the postseason has only further put a target on him.
Even so, calling him the WOAT is a wild statement, and Gobert unsurprisingly responded after the clip went viral on Thursday. Gobert quote tweeted the video and said he finds it “sad” that Shaq says things like this.
“It is sad to see someone that has accomplished as much as you did @SHAQ both in sport and business still be triggered by another man’s finances and accomplishments. I get the entertainment part but unlike other folks, you don’t need that stuff to stay relevant.”
I think it’s fair to say that Shaq (and plenty of other former players who now have joined the pundit class) certainly have a bit of jealousy with regards to the money guys make now, and that can color the way they talk about them. Shaq insisted he’s not hating, but it definitely can come off that way when your main point revolves around the money they make. As Gobert notes, Shaq in particular should be able to ignore that given he still makes a ton of money off endorsement deals, his TV gig, and various business ventures — it’s a frustration Kevin Durant has had with Shaq in the past for other comments about Gobert. It was pretty clear during the Western Conference Finals that there would not be any de-escalation of the beef between Shaq and Gobert (or Draymond Green and Gobert), and that’s further evidenced by this week’s addition to their history.
