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Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal is not happy with the current state of NBA basketball.
O’NEAL, 53, complained about how the game had gone “softly.”
“The league gets soft, the game gets soft, and it will take a few people to bring it back,” O’Neal said during a recent performance on “new heights.”
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Shaquille O’Neal before Game 1 in the 2024 NBA final between Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks in TD Garden 6 June 2024 in Boston. (David Butler II/USA Today Sports)
The 15-time NBA All-Star does not like the trend for centers shooting 3-pointers and prefer the big men who dominate the paint.
“As I hate big guys shooting (3-Pointers). Victor Wembanyama is an amazing player, but I really just wanted to see him dominate so much that people start complaining and they change the rules like when I did. I could shoot, but I don’t want to shoot one (3-pointer),” said O’Neal.
“Why should I shoot one (3-pointer) when I could put your little A– in the basket and dunk on you and put these balls in your face.”
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Shaquille O’Neal (right) talks before Game 3 in 2025 NBA Eastern Conference Finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse 25 May 2025 in Indianapolis. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imag images)
O’NEAL also expressed its disdain for the current NBA All-Star Game format.
“Our NBA All-Star format is terrible. I don’t know who’s responsible, but it’s terrible,” said O’Neal.
NBA’s format This season had four different teams in a mini tournament prepared by O’Neal, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith. The fourth team in the format was the winner of the Rising Stars Challenge.
Shaquille O’Neal sees game 4 in 2024 Western Conference Finals between Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves in the American Airlines Center 28 May 2024 in Dallas, Texas. (Jerome Miron/USA Today Sports)
Over the years, the NBA has tinked with the format in the hope of getting more efforts from players. Regardless of the format, players have not given 100% effort during the game and the product has fallen.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said next year’s All-Star game will be USA vs. World, but he is “not quite sure what the format will be yet” during a recent performance on “Breakfast Ball.”
The NBA final begins on Thursday at. 20:30 one between Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers.
