Shaquille O’Neal is no stranger to speaking his mind. Whether he’s on “Inside The NBA” or his podcast, the legendary center is liable to say what he wants when he wants, even if it comes at the expense of current NBA players.
Recently, on his show, “The Big Podcast,” O’Neal spoke freely about a subject that many people were putting their two cents in on: the NBA All-Star Game.
Shaquille O’Neal Calls Out the NBA All-Star Effort
O’Neal cited the changes in the All-Star Game format as a sign that perhaps the NBA players of today don’t fully appreciate what they’ve been afforded, especially considering the large contracts given out every offseason.
“We’re making a lot of money. It was our job to go out there and perform. So the fact that I was voted All-Star, I wanted to come out and put on a show for the people,” he said.
“Especially for the kids. Kids wearing your jerseys, everybody’s wearing your jersey. I wanted to put on a show. So the fact that we’re changing the format and all that, tells me the guys are not appreciating the things that have been done for them.”
O’Neal also references the mindset he would have as a young player in the game, as he sees the All-Star Game as a path for young players to make their mark and potentially earn more in their next contract.
“Trust me, if I’m making $80 million and I’m a young player, I’m going to play so hard because I know the next contract, I could be making $150 million… I’ve always took pride in people going to watch you perform, just give them their money’s worth.”
What Was Shaq Critiquing?
The new format was criticized heavily, as there were more festivities than actual gameplay on the day of the All-Star Game. Some of O’Neal’s criticism gained credibility when superstars seemed to shrug off the event as an inconvenience instead of a celebration.
LeBron James took a bit of heat for missing the All-Star Game due to a nagging injury. James was available for the first two games after the All-Star break for the Los Angeles Lakers, sparking even more criticism. He also didn’t alert the league early enough to find a replacement during the festivities.
One All-Star who evaded some criticism was Anthony Edwards, who missed the game as well due to injury. Perhaps his absence was lost in the chaos of James, various All-Star events, and the general distaste for the weekend’s product.
Regardless of players missing the game or merely poor effort in the game, it is evident that — once again — All-Star Weekend needs to be tinkered with.
