If you think about kindness, you think about Shaquille O’Neal. Ironically, the word ruthless also brings Big Diesel’s name to mind. But it sticks specifically to basketball. Having the elusive ‘G-14 classification’, as an analyst Shaq spares softness for NBA players. He is transparent with his opinions. In doing so, he has stitched together a range of rivalries, and he reignited a few of them with his most recent sizzling take, which could’ve come across as insulting, to some.

Joined by his son Myles O’Neal on Complex’s GOAT Talk, the 27-year-old posed an interesting question to his father. He asked him who is his WOAT hooper, meaning the worst player to grace the NBA. As typical Shaq is, he seemed prepared for it and didn’t even take a second to say Rudy Gobert. After giggling, Myles asked him his opinion on Nets guard, Ben Simmons. Even his LSU roots didn’t save him from the Shaq Attack. “He’s another b*m,” he said.

Having made the sacrifices he has and becoming a HOFer, Shaquille O’Neal was unapologetic and the Big Aristotle didn’t come without ammo. He explained why he despises the two players, drawing comparisons to those who work tirelessly and fail to earn “s**t”.

“I’m going to tell you why. If you sign a contract for 250 [million], show me 250. There’s a reason why I walk funny, why I can’t turn my neck, and why I can’t do it because I played for my 120. So you got guys like him who f**k the system over there making all this money and they can’t f***ing play. So I don’t respect guys like that.”

“You got teachers, you got firemen, you got doctors with real jobs and don’t get paid s**t,” the 4x champion assertively explained.

However, in the middle of Shaq’s justification, Myles barged in, only to say, “I’m sorry to Ben Simmons and Rudy Gobert, by the way.” Big Diesel’s revulsion for both Gobert and Simmons has been a talking point for a long time. He first attacked the Timberwolves center after he signed an exorbitant $205 million contract. He sarcastically called him an inspiration to kids, saying, “You average 11 points in the NBA, you can get $200 million.” 

With the changed NBA landscape, legends such as Shaq and many others have expressed their displeasure over the modern payment system. For the Big Diesel to earn a $120 million contract from the Lakers, it took him a few years of slogging, to then be touted as the “most dominant” force in NBA history. But now with the grown salary cap and income, a $100 million contract is given to impeccable role players, an example being Jaden McDaniels’ $136 million deal with the Wolves.

But while Shaq has always had a grudge against the defensive center, he wasn’t always so harsh on Simmons.

Shaquille O’Neal saw Ben Simmons like a ‘brother’ once upon a time!

Even though Shaq hates when players underperform, he has a soft corner for those from his alma mater of LSU. Just take a look at his compassion for Angel Reese, who he has endorsed publicly many times. He took a similar ‘big brother’ stance for Simmons during his infamous 76ers trade saga.

While Shaq did call him a “crybaby” in Inside the NBA, the legend revealed Simmons being angry at his comments and even reaching out to him. “Yeah, he was probably mad because I’m his LSU brother. I’m still his brother,” Big Diesel revealed. Their dynamic changed, though, when the Nets guard criticized Shaq and Barkley for their insensitive comments when appearing on JJ Redick’s pod.

From that moment, Shaquille O’Neal tore down the LSU layer that was protecting the 28-year-old from the legend’s fury. Recently, when Simmons’ alleged NBA 2K25 rating was revealed to be 66, an all-time low for the former number-one pick, Big Diesel thought it was an overestimation. “Should be lower,” he commented under a post that reported the same.

It was just among the few blows that Shaq has thrown toward the Australian. It’s just a reminder to not get on his bad side.

Before leaving, do watch the Dual Threat Show hosted by BG12 where Bulldogs’ Asia Avinger details her experience with Kobe Bryant, her WNBA ROTY picks, and more in the video below.