Shaquille O’Neal denies being a hater and explains how Nikola Jokic could have survived in his day.
When it comes to the NBA’s roughness, Shaquille O’Neal does not mince words. This time, he got into a fight with JJ Redick after the former Clippers sharpshooter made a mistake and remarked that the new NBA has “incredible physicality” but is inconsistent. O’Neal strongly disagreed. Redick even dubbed Shaq a “hater” for his harsh critique of modern best centers. The three-time Finals MVP refuted the charge, claiming that he cannot consider someone a great Center in today’s NBA since they do not experience the same level of physicality as he did in the 1990s. He did, however, provide some names of people who might have survived that time period.
On ‘The Big Podcast with Shaq’, the 2000 MVP and JJ Redick discussed whether modern elite centers could have survived his age. He described himself as having transcended the competition of his age, which included greats such as Patrick Ewing, David Robinson, and Hakeem Olajuwon. However, he does not see the same spark in today’s top big guys. However, he also noted that Nikola Jokic, the 2023 Finals MVP, could have survived in his day since he is proficient both as a jump-shooter and an inside finisher.
“When I started dominating, I judged all these men they brought in according to whether or not they could have played with us. I believe Joker could have played with us because he can roam inside and outside.”
As a result, save for the Nuggets’ great Center, Shaq’s peers would be unable to compete with the best Centers of his time. The former Lakers superstar contended that because his era saw a constant stream of egregious fouls, the current ones would have been overwhelmed. Redick contended that, while prior eras were plagued with egregious fouls, this characteristic is not typical of basketball.
JJ Redick and Shaquille O’Neal resume their contentious conversation.
O’Neal claimed that back in his day, centers like Bill Laimbeer could “clothesline” opposing players, instilling dread in them. However, Redick believes there is a distinction between a “hard foul” and a “flagrant foul”. Just because the league was less tough on egregious fouls in the 1980s and 1990s did not mean that physicality was required under the game’s rules.
The former Mavericks guard then used the example of LeBron James arguing about a possible missed call for an and-one while driving to the rim during the Nuggets series. For him, his protest was about a foul that fits within the scope of the game activity.
“I believe there is a separation between fouling and actual gameplay. If you go play a game and get a bucket, as you saw last night in the Denver game when LeBron complained about an And-One, that is gameplay. Bill Laimbeer clotheslining someone is a flagrant foul, but it is still a foul.
After arguing on the matter for some time, the two stood firm in their positions. Redick does not believe that an age with more flagrant fouls is necessarily better in terms of physicality. Meanwhile, the former big man believes that the Centers of his period experienced more rigorous contact, making their activities more challenging.