“He's a bad motherf*": Shaquille O'Neal unleashes F-bomb praise for Jalen Brunson, earns Allen Iverson comparison
Jalen Brunson has caught the attention of many NBA legends this season. Charles Barkley expressed his thoughts about Brunson earlier this month and said that he wouldn't be attending the All-Star weekend this year if the New York Knicks star wasn't part of it. It seems Barkley's fellow broadcaster Shaquille O'Neal also thinks highly of Brunson.
Shaquille O'Neal acknowledged Jalen Brunson's talent on the court. Shaq said he has never seen a guy of Brunson's height take over games the way he can. Furthermore, he added that the last time he witnessed someone like Brunson was back when Allen Iverson was still playing in the NBA. Brunson stands at 6-foot-2, while Iverson is 6-foot-0. Despite being slightly taller than "AI", Brunson is still considered small by NBA standards:
“He's a bad motherf*****," O'Neal said. "I haven't seen a small guy do whatever he wants to do since Allen Iverson.”
Is Shaquille O'Neal right about the Jalen Brunson-Allen Iverson comparison? Taking a closer look
Shaquille O'Neal's comparison of Jalen Brunson's game to Allen Iverson's turned a lot of heads and raised a lot of eyebrows in the basketball world. While it's undeniable that Brunson is having a career season this year, to compare him to someone like Iverson, who revolutionized the game of basketball, might be an overstatement by the "Big Diesel".
Throughout his historic Hall of Fame career, Iverson notched many accolades such as winning the Rookie of the Year award in 1997, winning the league MVP in 2001, being named to 11 All-Stars, leading the NBA in steals for three consecutive seasons from 2001-2003 and winning the league's scoring title four times.
Allen Iverson, also known as "The Answer", was a menace on the court, especially during his younger years playing for the Philadelphia 76ers. Most people recognize him for inventing the crossover maneuver which he used on many of his opponents throughout his career. Iverson's most notable crossover was when he got past Michael Jordan in his rookie season and hit a mid-range jumper on him.
With all that in mind, it's difficult for someone like Jalen Brunson to compare to the Hall of Famer. Throughout Brunson's six years in the league, it was only when he made his way to the New York Knicks last season that he budded into a star in the league. Brunson is yet to be named to his first All-Star and isn't exactly putting up MVP numbers.
With that said, it's a long way to go for Brunson to ever be compared to Iverson. However, if the Knicks star manages to keep his game consistent over the next several seasons he has left in the NBA, then Shaq's sentiments about him might become a reality.