The Brooklyn Nets are the target of a lot of ire these days, but Shaquille O’Neal is clowning them for something that happened back when they still played in New Jersey.
The retired center great appeared this week on “Scoop B Radio” with Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson. During his appearance, O’Neal roasted the Nets for putting up minimal resistance against him in the 2002 NBA Finals.
“It was boring,” said O’Neal of facing the Nets in the Finals that year. “I actually got mad when we were playing in Jersey. You think [then-Nets center] Todd MacCulloch is going to stop me at the crib in Jersey in front of my grandma and grandpa? S–t! No. Stop it.”
O’Neal, who was born in Newark, N.J., played for the Los Angeles Lakers at the time. Their Finals series against the Nets was one of the most lopsided in NBA history. The Lakers won it in a sweep, and O’Neal put up some all-time numbers of 36.3 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks per game. The Diesel absolutely ragdolled the Nets’ center rotation of MacCulloch, Jason Collins, and Aaron Williams, notably fouling out Williams in just seven minutes of play during Game 3.
Besides the relocation, the Nets obviously look a lot different nowadays. But O’Neal just can’t stop ridiculing their players, be they past or present.
