Shaquille O'Neal Rips Ex-Jazz Center as 'Worst NBA Player of All Time'

The Big Diesel did not hold back on his assessment of this former Jazzman.

Jun 6, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Shaquille O'Neal looks on before the game between the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks in game one of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images / David Butler II-Imagn Images

One of the NBA's greatest to ever touch the floor didn't mince words during his latest hot take surrounding a former standout big man for the Utah Jazz.

Over this week, we saw four-time NBA champion Shaquille O'Neal make some eye-catching headlines surrounding his latest interview with Complex and his son, Myles O'Neal. The two chopped it up over a collection of topics, spanning from hoops talk, to music, and at one point even discussed some of their favorite conspiracy theories.

However, one point of the interview caught the attention of NBA fans on socials when the two came onto the burning topic of pointing out the "WOAT" NBA player, or worst of all time.

Once it came time for Shaq to dish his answer, the former NBA MVP revealed his choice as former Jazz big man, and now Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert as his worst player of all time. O'Neal dove into his rationale a bit further in the interview, baked in with a bit of expletive bashing in the process:

"Rudy Gobert... If you sign a contract for 250 [million dollars], show me 250. There's a reason why I walk funny, why I can't turn my neck, and why I can't do it, because I played for my 120. So you've got guys like him that **** the system over there making all of this money and they can't ****ing play. So, I don't respect guys like that. Every time I make these comments, people think I'm hating, but these are facts. You've got teachers, you've got firemen, you've got doctors who have real jobs and don't get paid ****.

- Shaquille O'Neal on Rudy Gobert

Shaq named his pick for the Worst NBA Player of All Time… 😶 pic.twitter.com/tsEqJFl2qP

— Complex (@Complex) September 4, 2024

Gobert's true impact and skillset on the floor have continued to be a hot topic of conversation around the NBA in recent years, especially so following each of the big man's postseason shortcomings.

The 27th pick in the 2013 NBA Draft has had no shortage of regular-season success throughout his career. He's now tied for the most Defensive Player of the Year awards across NBA history, has led several top defensive units on an advanced statistics basis for several seasons, and has been a perennial top-shot blocker in the entire league, both since being with the Jazz, and his blockbuster trade to Minnesota as well.

Despite that, critics have long questioned Gobert's defensive versatility, and his ability to be a mainstay on the floor during deep playoff runs after countless mismatches being displayed in the postseason. Especially when being among the NBA's top salary earners with his super max contract, it effectively draws a bigger magnifying glass onto the 32-year-old's case.

This coming season will be a massive campaign for Gobert to silence the doubters (and Shaquille O'Neal). The Timberwolves enter the year with some of the highest expectations the franchise has seen in recent memory and even have a real shot to make some noise in the Western Conference after a successful second year since the Gobert trade.

If Gobert and the Timberwolves can't figure this fit out, the Jazz could eventually cash in big with one of their future unprotected first-rounders in the event things go south. Utah holds Minnesota's draft rights in either a swap or pick until 2029, so the stakes are high for what's to come in the Twin Cities.

How deep this Timberwolves team can go may depend upon how this five-man unit can prosper with their big man in the middle during a seven-game series.

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