Popular comedian Chris Rock came out with his new comedy special Selective Outrage earlier this month. That was the first piece of work he put out after the infamous Oscars incident in 2022. Hollywood superstar Will Smith, enraged by a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith, had slapped Rock at the 2022 Oscars while he was hosting the show. That became one of the most talked about issues of the year and people were waiting to hear Rock’s thoughts on the incident. The comedian broke his silence about a year after the incident in his new special.

Rock made jokes about the whole fiasco and its perpetrators Will & Jada Smith, while claiming that he didn’t retaliate at the time because he was raised well by his parents. Among the many jokes that he made in his special about the “slap”, a few didn’t sit right with some people including Will Smith, as they took offense to Rock’s language.

Amid passionate discussions regarding Rock’s new special, several notable NBA figures have shown their support for the comedian. The latest on the list is DJ Diesel himself, Dr. Shaquille O’Neal.

Shaquille O’Neal addresses Will Smith’s ‘Disgusting’ feeling after Chris Rock’s special

After Chris Rock’s special was out, several debates erupted around him alleging that Jada Smith instigated her husband to hit him. The language used by Rock while telling his jokes about the issue was another thing that was considered offensive. It was reported that Smith thought the jokes were “disgusting” and didn’t like them at all. Meanwhile, Shaq addressed Will Smith’s thoughts on the special in no uncertain terms.

Discussing a recent episode on The Big Podcast, the LA Lakers legend asked his co-hosts whether the freedom to tell jokes should be absolute. Although his co-hosts Nischelle Turner and Spice Adams partially disagreed, Shaq said, “I’ve always had that button, to where when it’s comedy, I don’t take it seriously. Comics say stuff about me, do you think I’m gonna beat every guy up to say I’m cross-sided.”

Continuing on the actor’s apology to Rock, which he didn’t accept, Shaq said, “It’s comedy”. Shaq believed that Smith shouldn’t have slapped the comedian, and since he did, Rock has the right to reject the apology.

The room was split between people from two different schools of thought. One thought comedy as an art form requires freedom, while the others thought that the scope of comedy should be somewhat limited.

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When Shaq issued an apology for a “joke”

It’s not just the comedians who get in trouble for offending people with their idea of a joke. Back in 2003, Shaq, while talking about then Houston Rockets player Yao Ming, made some offensive remarks about the Chinese language. When the audio from a radio show was circulated in public, the Big Diesel had to issue an apology. He said, ?If I offended anybody, I apologize. I said a joke. It was a 70-30 joke. Seventy percent of people thought it was funny, 30 didn?t. At times I try to be a comedian. Sometimes I say good jokes, sometimes I say bad jokes. If I hurt anybody?s feelings, I apologize.?

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