“I ain’t making fun of nobody” – Shaquille O'Neal brazenly defends himself mocking Anthony Davis’ injury
Shaquille O'Neal is one of the greatest big men in NBA history. He was very dominant during his prime and could not be stopped on the hardwood. Shaq received numerous honors and accolades during his playing career, but many basketball fans have criticized him as an analyst.
Shaq knows what it takes to be an all-time great, but he often criticizes younger centers and power forwards. Shaq was seemingly mocking Anthony Davis' recent injury in Game 5 against Golden State, but he claims that that wasn't the case.
The four-time NBA champion was apparently laughing at Davis for leaving the game with a head injury. However, the legendary center claims that he wasn't mocking Davis' injury.
Shaquille O'Neal said he did not mock Anthony Davis, but he took another shot at him
During TNT's postgame segment, Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley were laughing when the topic of conversation was Anthony Davis' head injury. The LA Lakers forward left Game 5 with a head injury with 7:34 left in the fourth quarter.
Neither Barkley nor Shaq wanted to say what exactly they were laughing about, but it was assumed by most that the cause of their laughter was Davis' apparent injury. However, Shaq claims that he didn't mock the big man.
Inside the NBA crew while talking about Lakers-Warriors & Anthony Davis:
Ernie Johnson: "What are you laughing about?"
Shaq: "I'm laughing at Chuck."
Charles Barkley: "Shaq is over there crumbling up paper... We need to go to that next game quickly."
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“I ain’t making fun of nobody, that’s not what I do," O'Neal said regarding his TNT segment. "But I do know you’re not going to stop me from playing in that Game 6.”
Shaquille O'Neal pointed out that he wouldn't let an injury keep him away from a closeout game. This is the situation that Anthony Davis is in since the Lakers have a chance to win the series on Friday night.
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The Hall of Fame center used this opportunity to bring up his own basketball career and the fact that he played through several injuries.
"You see why I walk funny?” O’Neal said. “Because I sucked it up. You see why my toes don’t bend? Because I sucked it up.”
Anthony Davis has dealt with some health issues this postseason, but he's tried to play through them. He's been a big part of the team and a big reason why the Lakers are just one win away from reaching the Western Conference Finals.
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Davis has avoided the concussion protocol and is listed as probable for Game 6 against the Warriors. He's averaging 21.5 points on 52.9% shooting this postseason.
The 6-foot-10 big man also leads the league in rebounding with 13.5 boards per game and averages a league-best 3.4 blocks per game.