Being one of the best players in the league for over a decade, Shaquille O’Neal was no stranger to criticism. O’Neal was often condemned for his actions, both on and off the court. However, he never let that get to his head. The Los Angeles Lakers legend recently found himself in hot waters after he was seemingly caught laughing at Anthony Davis’ concussion along with his Inside the NBA co-host Charles Barkley. Having faced major backlash for the incident, Shaq cleared the air and the 4x NBA champion has now opened up about facing the wrath of fans and media during his playing days. He even took examples of Michael Jordan and Larry Bird to emphasize his point.

O’Neal came under major fire for his fitness while playing in the NBA. He has himself admitted to regretting not working on his fitness as a player. However, the 15x NBA All-Star has started working on his health over the past few months and seems in a much better shape than he was in as a player.

Shaquille O’Neal gives a stinging reality check

During his time as a basketball analyst, Shaquille O’Neal has criticized a lot of NBA stars, including Dwight Howard, Donovan Mitchell, and Anthony Davis. According to Big Diesel, the players are becoming increasingly sensitive.

In an interview with Sports Illustrated, he explained how the former NBA elites used to deal with harsh criticism. He said, “Listen, I was sensitive but I tried to just shut you guys up by winning. When I speak, I speak from facts. We’re sitting there watching the game. If you want to get to the next round, you got to perform.”

O’Neal continued, “When Shaq doesn’t play well, when he doesn’t make his free throws, Shaq gets killed. Name of the game. So you can’t shoot 30% and then say, ‘Oh, somebody’s criticizing.’ [Michael] Jordan stepped up. [Larry] Bird stepped up. Magic Johnson. Isiah [Thomas]. You want to be known as great, you got to step up.” 

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According to Shaq, he was a victim of criticism several times, like all elite players are. Stars like Michael Jordan and Larry Bird used to step up their game and blow their opponents off the court if they were ever criticized. If anyone wants to be in the same bracket as some of the greatest players of all time, one needs to level up their game. But quite recently, the Big Aristotle was brutally slammed by fans because of his actions against Anthony Davis.

O’Neal faced heavy backlash

Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis suffered a concussion after getting hit in his head by an elbow from Golden State Warriors center Kevon Looney in Game 5 of their series. After reports emerged that AD had to be escorted out of the arena in a wheelchair, fans got worried about the 30-year-old star. However, O’Neal and Barkley thought otherwise.

The comedic duo couldn’t control their laughter when Kenny Smith spoke about the incident. Although both of them revealed that wasn’t the reason for their laughter, fans and media thought otherwise. The outroar got so intense that O’Neal had to clear the air. He said that he wasn’t laughing at AD and that wasn’t reflective of his character. However, this wasn’t the first time he has criticized a star.

What are your thoughts on Shaq’s take on criticism? Let us know in the comments.

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