Haslem, after seeking clarification, said matter-of-factly that O’Neal would have put his hands on Gobert. Nevertheless, O’Neal said that razzing teammates into action was a motivational tactic. “It may sound personal, but it’s motivation. That’s all it is. It was just motivation,” O’Neal stated.

Shaquille O'Neal doubles down on his harsh comments about Minnesota Timberwolves center and reigning DPOY Rudy Gobert.

Shaq’s beef with Gobert stems in part from the blockbuster trade between the Utah Jazz and Minnesota Timberwolves in July 2022 that sent Gobert to Minnesota.

A lot of these big men, when I put out these challenges, they fail the test because they respond… Udonis Haslem: They sensitive now. Shaquille O’Neal: They sensitive. First of all, if you getting 250 (million) now what is your renewal check going say?