From the hardwood to the broadcasting booth, Shaquille O’Neal has never been the one to back down from confrontation. Whether it’s about challenging Dwight Howard’s ‘Superman‘ moniker, dismissing JaVale McGee’s basketball IQ, or challenging Kobe Bryant’s leadership skills Shaq’s fondness for conflict has become as legendary as his backboard-shattering slams. However, as his recent feud with a Minnesota Timberwolves player was on cooldown mode, it seems like the young seven-footer has given a new light to it.

In a video circulating over X, the 4x DPOY award winner Rudy Gobert answers a series of rapid-fire questions. The agenda? He has to choose the best defensive player among the choices that he has been given. While the 32-year-old took some time to make the initial choices that he was given, he was quite quick with one particular one. Which defender ranks higher all-time was the interviewer’s question and when Gobert was given the options of Bill Russell and Shaquille O’Neal, the center spared no time in answering, “I’ll go Bill Russel,”

Gobert’s choice for Bill Russell is quite understandable. The legendary player was a dominant force on the court and his timing and shot-blocking capability have made him a nightmare for opposing offenses. In his 13-year career with the Boston Celtics, he had an average rebound of 22.5 and helped the team clinch 11 championships, which is a record that still remains unmatched. However, in this case, it can be speculated that Rudy Gobert made an indirect jab towards Big Diesel.

The Shaq-Gobert saga has been continuing for ages. It all started back in 2020 when Gobert signed a $205 million contract extension with the Utah Jazz, which, according to Shaq, was not fair. The Lakers legend re-ignited the feud in August when in an interview with his son on ‘Complex’, he brought up the topic of Gobert being unworthy of that amount of money and opined that Gobvert wasn’t a good defensive player either.

However, the Frenchman, after being silent for days replied to the comments made by Big Aristotle, which were later dismissed by Shaq in a podcast with Udonis Haslem. “When I put out these challenges they fail the test because they respond…they sensitive now,” said Shaq during the podcast. According to the seven-footer, Gobert had failed the test. But what is the test? According to O’Neal, the only reason he gives harsh opinions about other players is to test if the players improve themselves based on the criticism but since Gobert had called out Shaq publicly, he could not get a positive result.

With Gobert’s recent statement, it is certain that this feud is far from over. As both players continue to shape their legacies, O’Neal as a vocal NBA analyst and Gobert as an active player, basketball fans eagerly await the next chapter in this ongoing saga of giants. But what had Gobert said that made him fail the test?

What Rudy Gobert said after being silent for a long time

After a prolonged period of silence, the Minnesota Timberwolves center finally took to X to address his point of view. The 3x All-Star has been a target of the Los Angeles Lakers veteran since 2020.

According to the 32-year-old, it was quite shocking for him to see someone who has been in the industry for a long time to talk little of him. “It is sad to see someone that has accomplished as much as you did @SHAQ both in sport and business still be triggered by another man’s finances and accomplishments. I get the entertainment part but unlike other folks, you don’t need that stuff to stay relevant,” said Gobert in an X post by retweeting the COMPLEX interview that Shaq had with his son Myles.

In the last season, Gobert scored 14 PPG and 12.9 RPG in the 46 games that he played, which is a decent stat as a defensive player. As the young center looks to turn a corner, his fans and teammates are hoping for a resurgence. With his talent and defensive prowess, he has the potential to be one of the league’s most dominant players.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger