Abhay Singh
Days after NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal publicly deemed Rudy Gobert the worst NBA player of all time, the center for the Minnesota Timberwolves wasted no time in hitting back with a fiery rebuttal that echoed loudly throughout the basketball world, underscoring his character and determination to prove his greatness despite the criticism.
O’Neal criticized Minnesota Timberwolves player Gobert for not meeting his contract obligations, leading Gobert to express his dissatisfaction.
“You don’t need that stuff to stay relevant.”
Gobert wrote on X “It is sad to see someone that has accomplished as much as you did @SHAQ both in sport and business still be triggered by another man’s finances and accomplishments. “I get the entertainment part but unlike other folks, you don’t need that stuff to stay relevant.”
When asked to select the worst player in the NBA during an interview on the GOAT Talk podcast on September 4, Shaquille O’Neal immediately named Gobert and added Ben Simmons to the list.
“Every time I make these comments, people think I’m hating”
Shaq said “No, because you know why? If you sign a contract for $250 [million], show me $250. There’s a reason why I walk funny, why I can’t turn my neck. Because I played for my $120 [million]. You got guys like him that f— the system over. They’re making all this money and they can’t f—ing play. I don’t respect guys like that.”
O’Neal continued, explaining that another reason he has a problem with Gobert is that he seems to be slipping by in other fields where workers are compensated significantly less for doing far more.
He said “Every time I make these comments, people think I’m hating, but these are facts, You got teachers, you got firemen, you got doctors who have real jobs and don’t get paid s—.”
At the end of the 2025–2026 NBA season, Gobert’s current five-year, $205 million contract with the Timberwolves will come to an end.
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