Shaquille O'Neal is no stranger to having extremely disrespectful takes. The former Los Angeles Lakers star is well-known around the NBA community as someone who doesn't have a filter when it comes to his hot takes. This time, his target wasn't a current NBA player, but a former foe of his.
While talking about the Shaq and Kobe Lakers, O'Neal singled out the New Jersey Nets as a “boring” matchup for them. (Via Scoop B on Twitter)
“Shaq on playing Nets in ‘02 Finals: ‘It was boring.'
I actually got mad when we were playing in Jersey. You think Todd McCollough is going to stop me at the crib in Jersey in front of my grandma and grandpa?….Sheeeeeit! No. Stop it.'”
Shaq on playing Nets in ‘02 Finals: “It was boring.”
I actually got mad when we were playing in Jersey. You think Todd McCollough is going to stop me at the crib in Jersey in front of my grandma and grandpa?….Sheeeeeit! No. Stop it.”
– Via Scoop B Radio pic.twitter.com/E3a7rhqSMA
— 👑 Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson (@ScoopB) September 17, 2021
To be fair to Shaq, the 2002 Finals was indeed a bit of a snoozefest, even for the viewers. Even with tensions between Shaq and Kobe rising, the Lakers were still pretty much an unbeatable team. On the other hand, the New Jersey Nets were a team that didn't have a big superstar like the Lakers had. It was an unfair matchup, and the series score showed it: an easy 4-0 sweep for the Lakers.
Shaq has every reason to call that matchup boring, too: He averaged a monstrous 36.3 points and 12.3 rebounds in those four games. The Nets had no answer to the freight train that was Shaq (including Todd McCollough, the player Shaq name-dropped in his quote), and the Lakers cruised to a title behind Shaq's performance.
Still, Shaquille O'Neal going out there and calling out the team in general is very on-brand for him. Never change, Shaq. Never change.
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