NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal is a ‘multipotentialite’ when it comes to the world of sports. Asides from being one of the best basketball players that the NBA has ever seen, Shaq has shown an interest in following the latest happenings that occur in sports like UFC and Baseball. From making appearances at MLB All Star games to throwing the first pitch, Shaquille O’Neal’s love for ‘America’s pastime’ is a well-known fact amongst his fans.
Having recently suffered a blowback due to a lapse in knowledge, MLB star and ESPN analyst Alex Rodriguez recently got a shoutout from the former Los Angeles Lakers player.
Shaquille O’Neal endorses Rodriguez’s baseball tips
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An Instagram handle recently uploaded a reel featuring A-Rod. Describing the “fastest way to get from Point A to Point B,” Rodriguez demonstrated the best way to hit a baseball.
Swinging down to get the ball up and bending the legs to a certain point were some of the ways that the player claimed could be used to make a shot. After he demonstrated a long slow swing, the video switched to an archive footage of the player making use of the same swing during a game.
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The video also featured 11x All Star Albert Pujols providing his own tips on how to best get the ball away from the grasps of the opponents.
Shaq Diesel took to Instagram to share the reel with his 31.1 million followers, promoting the skill set and knowledge that Rodriguez possesses in regard to the sport, that surely made him who he is. Shaq’s vote of confidence in the player’s skills helped divert people’s attention from the recent backlash A-Rod faced, many questioning his baseball knowledge.
Alex Rodriguez faced backlash over allegedly not knowing how MLB trades work
A few days ago, Alex Rodriguez was interviewed by The Bret Boone Podcast. During the conversation, the player revealed a strategy that can be used by the Los Angeles Angels to win a World Series in the next five years, according to the New York Times. It involved acquiring draft picks in large numbers in exchange for 29-year-old player Shohei Ohtani.
At the time of making the statement, the former New York Yankees’ player seemed to have forgotten that the MLB does not allow standard draft picks to be traded. Only the compensation picks made between the first, second and third rounds are subject to the process.
The Angels would later go on to make two acquisitions without trading Ohtani, making it clear that the 5× NPB All-Star is off the market.
MLB fans didn’t take lightly to Rodriguez’s weird suggestion, with many taking to Twitter to roast him. People were not happy that the former player, who currently acts in the capacity of an MLB analyst, is not aware of even the basic rules of the sport.
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While Shaq’s endorsement may have helped to help cool things down for a moment, the former baseball player’s blunder is not something that people will forget soon.
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