Sometimes aggressive in his remarks towards the younger generation, Shaquille O’Neal nevertheless knows how to recognize talent when he sees it. That’s good, since according to him, a rising star in the league would already be the best player on the circuit!
If some former glories will be very conciliatory with their successors, and have the compliment rather easy, others are much more demanding. Shaquille O’Neal, he really alternates between the two camps. Very complimentary to some big names in the league, he does not mince his words when it comes to criticizing some current stars. Ask Donovan Mitchell instead.
A year ago, Diesel had indeed placed itself at the origin of a big controversy, because of his incendiary remarks towards the back of the Jazz. The latter had also launched a great debate on the legitimacy of the opinion of retired players, sometimes dissonant vis-à-vis the general opinion of the fans. Anyway, Shaq is not always so bad-mouthed, and can hire a young player when he thinks it’s worth it!
Shaquille O’Neal is still drooling over Ja Morant
For the past few days, O’Neal seems to have found his darling in the NBA these days: Ja Morant. He never ceases to praise the young star leader of the Grizzlies, who pays him back with stratospheric performances. At the start of the meeting between Memphis and New Orleans, won by the neo All-Star and his teammates (132-111), he even made him… the best player in the league, quite simply!
“Yo man, you’re the best player in the league.” @SHAQ on the message that he gave to @JaMorant ???? pic.twitter.com/SptFLxhYc3
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) March 9, 2022
You should have seen his face when I told him he was the best player in the league! He was like, “Huh?! I said, “I’m not kidding you, bro.” You are the best, for real. I swear you’re the best! He kinda believed me the first time I said that, but as soon as I agreed, he exploded.
The Big Cactus therefore definitely fell in love with Morant, and obviously wanted to make him understand it in person. No wonder there, since he had already placed it at the center of a most rewarding comparison on his part. This is what he did again on the set of TNTbringing Ja closer to two beautiful icons!
Ja is good. Penny (Hardaway) was like that. Kobe (Bryant) was like that. This kid will definitely have the league at his feet in a few years!
Shaq never stops complimenting Ja Morant, without the young star seeming to believe it too much for the moment. And for good reason, as the legendary big man is not used to being so dithyrambic in normal times!
