TNT’s Shaquille O’Neal is considered one of the best players in NBA history regardless of position. He was a dominant big man who could carry his team at any given moment and he was also a guy who took his criticisms due to his poor free-throw shooting.
It is why he went after Philadephia 76ers star Ben Simmons so harshly on TV the other week as Simmons continues his holdout from the team. O’Neal called him out and criticized him in a big way that left a lot of people shocked that he said that.
Simmons was upset with O’Neal’s criticism and O’Neal revealed on “The Big Podcast” with himself, Spice Adams, and Nischelle Turner that the Sixers star did DM him as he was upset with what O’Neal said:
Shaq: He got to step up and knock them down. They all said that. I didn’t go ‘I got 38. I missed 12 free throws. Trade me, get rid of me.’ You’re acting like a baby. So he kind of got on my DM’s and said some things.
Nischelle: What did he say?
Shaq: I can’t do that. He said some things. No, I can’t do that…All I said was you’re leaving your man out there. You need to play. That’s all I said. He said some things, but I’m not gonna elaborate what he said because that’s not cool. He was mad…Yeah, he’s probably mad because I’m his LSU brother and I am yes. I’m still his brother…I’m not gonna tell you what he said, but I probably understand why he mad.
O’Neal doesn’t want Simmons leaving Joel Embiid out there high and dry. The two of them have always been a bit of an awkward fit and there was always the question of whose team it was. However, O’Neal has a lot of experience with something like this from his time with the Los Angeles Lakers and the late Kobe Bryant.
O’Neal added:
I realized this after I left LA. I don’t believe I’m in my whole career fighting for a useless title. ‘Shaq you the man. Shaq, this your team, but in reality what the (expletive) does all that mean? It don’t mean nothing. It don’t mean nothing. I could have won eight or nine championships with that man. Instead, we both argue about who team it is and I talked to them. I had to go speak to Philadelphia and I told them I said don’t fight over useless titles. Fight for each other because when it’s all said and done, you don’t want to be back, saying to yourself I wish I could. So much Elon Besoz out here for everybody know what that mean, right? I can’t take it all so I’m gonna get my piece. Spice you get your piece, Nischelle, just take it, but don’t give it away by just ‘It’s Joel’s fault. I don’t wanna play. It’s coaches fault. I don’t want to play.’ Listen, he went to LSU, I care about him. I want to see him succeed. I want to see all these young brothers succeed.
"He acting like a baby.”@Shaq went IN on Ben Simmons and says the Sixers star DM'd him mad for comments Shaq recently made on @NBAonTNT
More on #TheBigPodcast: https://t.co/v263O0hCCc pic.twitter.com/LGl9dtOYHJ
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 3, 2022
The Simmons saga isn’t going to end any time soon, but the Sixers have to continue to wait this out and see if they can get the high value they want for one of the game’s brightest young stars.
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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