Shaq Puts It Bluntly: ‘I F***ing Hate Rudy Gobert’
Shaquille O'Neal has nothing nice to say about the Minnesota Timberwolves big man.
In case you're wondering whether Shaquille O'Neal and Rudy Gobert have kissed and made up from their recent feud, the answer is no. They certainly have not.
"I f*cking hate Rudy Gobert," O'Neal said this week on The Big Podcast with Shaq. "That mother*cker making $250 million and don't deserve it, dawg. F*ck that."
A four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, Gobert averaged just 12 points and 10.9 rebounds per game in 2024-25, his least productive season since his early days with the Utah Jazz. The Minnesota Timberwolves big man also slipped from his regular spot on the All-Defense first team to the second team.
"As the president of the 'big man alliance,' you making big money, play like a f*cking big man," Shaq continued to rant. "That's it. Play like a f*cking big man. Throw some bows, knock some people out. Don't be letting little white dudes from Denver dunk on you and talk sh*t to you, then you gotta grab them by the neck at the last second. Come on, bro. That's it. If you're going to f*cking be getting paid big money, f*cking play big."
Shaq has never been shy about his distaste for Gobert. Ahead of last season, the NBA legend boldly called Gobert "the worst player in the history of the league." That assessment is, of course, objectively wrong, but you can't reason with Shaq when he's blinded by rage.
Gobert responded on social media, calling Shaq "triggered" and accusing him of taking cheap shots at modern players just to "stay relevant."
But when presented with the possibility of Gobert someday joining Shaq in the Basketball Hall of Fame, Shaq was not having it.
"If Rudy Gobert gets into the Hall of Fame, I'll wear this dress to the f*cking ceremony," O'Neal said, pointing to a photo of Charles Barkley in a dress for a Weight Watchers ad from 2012. He later added, "If he get in, take me out."
Right now, Basketball Reference lists Gobert’s Hall of Fame chances at just 27.2%. Personally, though, I'm rooting for him. If only to see Shaq forced to squeeze himself into that little black dress.