Shaquille O’Neal has been awfully critical of Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert as of late. There may be an envious reason as to why.
Shaq admitted on The Big Pdcast this week that he’s upset players in today’s NBA are making so much money.
Gobert, in particular, signed a five-year, $205 million contract with the Jazz. For reference, O’Neal made $292 million over his entire 19-season NBA career.
If Shaq was playing today, he’d be making much more than Gobert is.
“You think I’m happy Rudy Gobert’s making 250 [million]? … God damn right we get mad, we get petty. … I think it’s a little bit of truth in our criticism.”
It’s perfectly understandable O’Neal and other all-time greats are upset current players are making way more money than they ever did.
But, on the other hand, let’s not act like Gobert is some scrub. He’s one of the league’s best rim protectors.
“Gobert plays every damn game and is a GOAT defensive player. Save this bulls—t energy for dudes who collect checks to sit on the bench,” one fan said.
“Rudy Gobert is a 3x DPOY , I hate the fact that people try to act like he’s some overpaid scrub , dude has single [handedly] kept the jazz in games with his defense alone,” another fan wrote.
Even Kevin Durant thinks O’Neal is overreacting.
“Shaquille is hilarious,” he said on Twitter. “You’re a billionaire bro lol”
Does Shaq have a point or should he stop complaining?