Shaquille O'Neal had some words for Rudy Gobert over the weekend when declaring that the Utah Jazz center wouldn't be able to guard him, despite being one of the NBA's most renowned defensive stars. Gobert seems to have taken exception to Shaq's remarks, taking some time to comment on an Instagram post from Bleacher Report in order to clap back. Gobert boldly claimed “I would lock his ass up,” in a fiery response to Shaq.
Rudy fires back at Shaq in our comments 👀🍿 pic.twitter.com/ReqZZ6Z6WZ
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 9, 2022
Well, the exchange didn't end there. O'Neal caught wind of Gobert's response and decided to further troll the Jazz's big man. O'Neal took a screenshot of Gobert's comment and posted it to Instagram with the caption “locked up.” It seems Shaq's followers agreed with him, many showing their doubts that Gobert would be able hold his own against the legendary center.
View this post on Instagram
Gobert is one of the premier defenders in the NBA, having won three Defensive Player of the Year awards and been selected to five NBA All-Defensive teams during his tenure with the Jazz. Still, it's hard to imagine him being able to contain O'Neal, who is one of the most dominant big men in NBA history. That's not a knock on Gobert, either. Shaq was simply a game-changing big who could have his way with any opponent, no matter how good a shot blocker they are.
Gobert is a great defender, but in a matchup with Shaq, it's hard to envision him coming out on top. Still, we won't knock him for being confident in his game. After all, it's his defense that's made him a living in the league, and he continues to serve as one of the best rim protectors in the league.
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