Shaquille O’Neal is well-versed in calling a spade, a spade. Criticism and scrutiny, especially from league veterans, are unavoidable for athletes, especially those who perform on the grand stage of the playoffs. Shaq, who closely observes the performances of current players, highlighted his distaste toward a Japanese basketball player for not performing well during the playoffs.

As an analyst on the TNT floor, the big man doesn’t shy away from criticizing players, particularly when they underperform in a crucial game. In a recent episode of his YouTube podcast, The Big Podcast with Shaq, the 4x NBA champion hinted at his ignorance toward a Japanese player.

Shaquille O’Neal expresses his thoughts on the Japanese player

Shaquille O’Neal is well-known for speaking his mind. During the playoffs, the Los Angeles Lakers faced a tough defeat as the Denver Nuggets swept Los Angeles, ultimately winning the Western Conference. O’Neal believed that the Lakers’ inconsistent play prevented them from overcoming the highly consistent Nuggets.

On the podcast, O’Neal’s co-host, Spice Adams, brought up a comment about a former NBA player who said that D?Angelo Russell needs to go ahead and just pack his bags as his performance in the Conference Finals was substandard. In response, Shaq shared his perspective, specifically mentioning the Japanese player, Rui Hachimura.

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Shaq said ?Listen, the game is easy. There are two types of players. There?s a guy that gets all the credit and God has to do most of the work. And then there are the others that live off of that. With LeBron and A.D. getting all the attention and you?re not paying attention to me,? and you?re a player you?re supposed to be shining. Ruchi Hachimura was shining”.

Shaq seemingly faced difficulty recalling Hachimura’s name accurately. It’s not the first occasion where the big man has expressed dissatisfaction with Hachimura.

Shaq’s previous comments on the Japanese player

In January, the Los Angeles Lakers executed a trade with the Washington Wizards to acquire the 25-year-old Japanese player, Hachimura. The Lakers made this trade with the intention of bolstering their bench depth and adding a wing defender to their roster. While this trade received praise from many, Shaq held a different perspective. He openly voiced his criticism, expressing his belief that the trade was not worthwhile and that the cost, which involved giving up Kendrick Nunn, was too high.

Shaq mentioned “I mean we gave up Kendrick Nunn when he doesn?t even do nothing.?My Lakers, we are all about winning championships, I don?t even know who that is. One that impresses me is Bradley Beal, you wanna impress me? That?s all I got I don?t even know who the f**k that is”. The Lakers icon?faced a lot of criticism for his comments and later came with an apology to Hachimura.

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