Shaquille O’Neal never seems to run out of criticisms for players in the modern NBA, and one of the things that bothers the Hall of Famer is how high salaries have gotten. Kevin Durant does not think Shaq should be concerning himself with how much money someone else makes.
Shaq admitted this week that him and some other former NBA stars get “petty” when they see what today’s players make. He mentioned on his podcast how Utah Jazz big man Rudy Gobert is currently playing under a $200 million-plus contract.
Shaq didn't hold back 👀 pic.twitter.com/NcizQ1wI3W
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 28, 2022
Durant found the remark to be hypocritical. He responded on Twitter by pointing out how much money Shaq has made. Shaq fired back by sarcastically saying he is “broke.” He also thanked K.D. for complimenting him
i know i'm hillarious, and i'm not a billionaire i'm actually broke. but will always speak facts. thank you saying i'm funny means a lot
— SHAQ.SOL (@SHAQ) June 28, 2022
The counterargument would be that O’Neal has made a lot of money through smart investments and his post-playing career. Shaq did earn nearly $300 million during his NBA career, but that was over 19 seasons. His highest salary for an individual year was $27 million in his final season with the Los Angeles Lakers. For comparison, Gobert will make an average of around $42 million per year over the next four seasons.
Shaq also does not respect Gobert’s game. It drives him nuts that the Jazz star is considered one of the best big men in the NBA.
Durant was annoyed with Charles Barkley over some similar remarks recently. The Brooklyn Nets star clearly does not think rich former players should be talking about how much rich current players make.
