Latest news with #BigManAlliance
News.com.au
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
‘I f***ing hate him': NBA legend takes fiery feud to new heights
Shaquille O'Neal's longstanding feud with Timberwolves centre Rudy Gobert took an even more drastic twist Thursday. The NBA Hall of Famer has traded barbs with Gobert for years, but this time it got personal, the NY Post reports. 'I f***ing hate Rudy Gobert,' said O'Neal on his podcast The Big Podcast with Shaq. 'Because that motherf***er making $250 million, (and) he don't deserve it, dawg. F*** that. 'As the president of The Big Man Alliance, you making big money, play like a f***ing big man. That's it. 'Throw some (elbows), knock some people out, don't be letting little white dudes from Denver dunk on you and talk sh*t to you.' Gobert, a four-time defensive player of the year, has averaged 11.7 rebounds, 12.6 points, 2.1 blocks and 0.7 steals per game in his 12-year career. O'Neal is hoping those accomplishments aren't enough to make the two Hall of Fame counterparts. 'If Rudy Gobert gets into the Hall of Fame, I'll wear this dress to the motherf***ing ceremony,' said O'Neal while holding up a picture of Charles Barkley wearing a dress in a WeightWatchers commercial. O'Neal has targeted Gobert since at least 2021, when he made fun of his lack of offensive ability. 'I'm not gonna hate, but this should be an inspiration to all the little kids out there,' O'Neal said. 'You average 11 points in the NBA, you can get $200 million.' His opinion of Gobert is so low that he even had rival Draymond Green's back when Green was suspended for putting Gobert in a headlock in 2023. Last season, O'Neal told Complex that Gobert was the worst NBA player of all time, along with Ben Simmons, whom he called 'another bum.' Gobert responded to that diss on social media. '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,' Gobert said. 'I get the entertainment part but unlike other folks, you don't need that stuff to stay relevant.'
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Shaquille O'Neal shaded Rudy Gobert again by using SGA's contract as reference - "That is what $70 million looks like"
Shaquille O'Neal shaded Rudy Gobert again by using SGA's contract as reference - "That is what $70 million looks like" originally appeared on Basketball Network. Los Angeles Lakers Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal has a long history with Rudy Gobert. O'Neal has always been critical of the four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year winner, from saying he was not worth the assets he was traded for, to saying he was not worth the massive contract the Minnesota Timberwolves gave him after acquiring him from the Utah Jazz. It seems like the Gobert trade was eons ago. But despite that, Shaq has not forgotten Rudy's "sins" against "The Big Man Alliance." "My problem is from player to consumer. When the consumer causes you to make big money, you have to play big. So if you're going to be making 250, just play like you're making 250. That's all I ask. And I am the leader. I'm the god. I am the ruler of the "Big Man Alliance." When somebody wins four championships, they can replace me," said Shaq during his recent appearance on the "Off the Record" podcast. He should have knocked Braun's teeth out While dissing Gobert again, O'Neal showed a video footage of Rudy's dust-up with Denver Nuggets forward Christian Braun last November 2024 during a regular season game between the Wolves and Nuggets after the Braun dunked on Gobert and celebrated the dunk in his face. According to O'Neal, Gobert is 7'1" and is a four-time Defensive Player of the Year winner, so he should protect the paint as such. Instead of being angry after getting dunked on, he said Gobert should have prevented Braun from dunking on him, even if that meant he had to knock his teeth out. Shaq then proceeded to compare Rudy's money with what Shai Gilgeous-Alexander recently got. "Congratulations to Shai, that's what 70 million looks like. You ain't got nothing to say about that 70 million. The best player in the league by far. Did his thing throughout the year, one of the three players to get a regular season MVP, Finals MVP, and score 3,000 points. He deserves that. So when you pay a guy 70 million, that's the outcome. That's how it's supposed to look," O'Neal continued. Gobert has already played out the big contract Two weeks ago, the newly crowned NBA champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, signed Gilgeous-Alexander to a four-year supermax extension worth $285 million, giving him an average salary of $71.25 million, the largest-ever at the time the deal was announced. But while O'Neal was correct that SGA deserves every penny of whatever the Thunder is paying him, comparing his contract to Gobert's was off. The Frenchman has already played out the disputed five-year $205 million deal, which he signed when he was still in Utah. Before the start of last season, Gobert declined his $46.6 million player option for the 2025-26 season to sign a smaller three-year deal worth $110 million. That means he will be making just $35 million next season, or $11 million less than what he was supposed to earn as per his old contract. This isn't the only time that Gobert took a discount to help his team's finances. When he signed that $205 million deal in 2020, many people didn't realize his max amount that year was $228 million, but he took less to help the Jazz add more pieces. In contrast, Shaq once admitted that the real reason why he left the Lakers was because they asked him to take less money and he wouldn't. But of course, he'll answer back by saying he had three rings back then, and Rudy has story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 19, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Shaquille O'Neal admits he actually hates Rudy Gobert: "Don't let little white dudes from Denver dunk on you"
Shaquille O'Neal admits he actually hates Rudy Gobert: "Don't let little white dudes from Denver dunk on you" originally appeared on Basketball Network. The ongoing feud between Shaquille O'Neal and Rudy Gobert is now public knowledge. The primary topics of conflict have centered on the definition of a big man and undeserving contract extensions. Considering the regular back and forth, things are only likely to get uglier. O'Neal has often been critical of certain big men, with the most prominent example being Dwight Howard in the past. Nonetheless, the two seemed to have buried the hatchet, with Shaq agreeing to walk the Orlando Magic's all-time leading scorer into the Hall of Fame. While he mended his fences with Howard, it doesn't seem like the same thing will happen with Gobert. It all began when O'Neal told the seven-footer to "man up," who publicly broke down for not making the All-Star in 2019. Not to mention his doubts regarding the five-year, $205M contract extension. In a recent episode of The Big Podcast with Shaq, the Big Diesel explained his hatred for Gobert. He also had the Morris twins on the panel. "I f---ing hate Rudy Gobert. He is making 250M and he doesn't deserve it. As the President of the Big Man Alliance, you making big money, play like a big man. That's it. Throw some bows. Knock some people out. Don't be little white dudes from Denver dunk on you and talk to you. Then you got to grab them by the neck at the last second. If you going to get paid big money, play big," said O'Neal, who felt the four-time DPOY did not deserve to be in the Hall of Fame. Gobert getting posterized Standing at 7'1", it would be hard to fathom Gobert being put on a poster. However, the big Frenchman did have some of these moments throughout his career. One such incident that garnered significant attention involved Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun throwing down a two-handed slam. Hyped up, the 6'6" guard was seen bumping his shoulder into Gobert's chest, who in turn caught him by the neck and swung him sideways. Consequently, both players received double technical fouls. Nonetheless, Gobert and the Wolves ultimately prevailed with the win. Over the years, Gobert has been criticized for his perceived lack of toughness as a big man. Fueling this narrative further are episodes of him being posterized by guards such as Jaylen Brown, Russell Westbrook, and DeMar DeRozan. Not the best look for a four-time DPOY. A rare moment when Shaq gave his flowers The Timberwolves had a strong start to the 2025 playoffs, sending the Lakers home in the first round. Going on the road, Gobert stunned the crowds at the Crypto Arena, dropping 27 points and 24 rebounds in a series-clinching Game Five. He was a highly efficient 80 percent from the field. Nonetheless, the biggest surprise was yet to come, with O'Neal saying the following: "Rudy Gobert is dominating, I'm happy for him." A tough pill to swallow for O'Neal, who did give the Wolves big man his due. Nevertheless, this did not in any way imply that the four-time champion had mended his fences with Gobert. It seems like the 33-year-old still has a lot to do before getting the stamp of approval from the President of the Big Man story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 24, 2025, where it first appeared.
