Shaquille O’Neal — showman, businessman, Hall of Fame NBA legend, and all-around philosopher — thinks his “LSU brother” Ben Simmons is messing things up for future generations of ballers by not playing this season. And Shaq is not mincing words about it.
Simmons hasn’t played this season for the 76ers where he’s under contract, and Shaq thinks he’s making a mistake. Magic Johnson paved the way for Michael Jordan who paved it for Shaq who paved for Kevin Garnett to make a ton of money, Shaq says. And the big fella thinks Simmons actions are breaking the lucrative chain.
“They already think we’re spoiled” Shaq says, before noting that Simmons has a $40 million/per contract.
But the most interesting thing for longtime NBA fans is when Shaq says he hopes Simmons doesn’t make the same mistake with his superstar teammate (Joel Embiid), that Shaq himself made with his (Kobe Bryant). Shaq says he told told Simmons “you’re leaving your man out there, you have to play.”
Shaq then revealingly tells how his own priorities were mixed up at a crucial time in his career. “I didn’t realize this till I left LA,” he said, referencing how he and Kobe Bryant feuded over who was the Lakers “main man”? The main man title, Shaq says, was “useless.”
The idea that the Lakers were “Shaq’s team” he realized, wasn’t important. “It didn’t mean nothing,” he says. And here’s the tantalizing line for Lakers fans and NBA historians: “I could have one eight, nine titles with that man,” Shaq says (referencing, but not naming Kobe), “instead of we both arguing about who’s team it is.”
Another case of what might have been, if egos didn’t get in the way.
