"I'm not a billionaire; I'm actually broke but will always speak facts" - Shaquille O'Neal responds to Kevin Durant's take on former players getting mad at current stars making more money
Shaquille O'Neal has taken subtle shots at current NBA stars for making more money than he did during his career. O'Neal recently blasted Rudy Gobert's contract, with Kevin Durant defending the Utah Jazz center. O'Neal has now responded to Durant once again.
On "The Big Podcast with Shaq," the LA Lakers legend explained why former players like him are 'mad' and 'petty'. O'Neal pointed out that someone like Dennis Scott should have earned more during his career. He does not get why some players today get paid above their value.
"Let me tell you something. Do you think I'm happy Rudy Gobert is making 250 (million)?" O'Neal said. "So KD, you're absolutely right. We're mad because the way we played, we didn't get that. You got these shooters shooting 22% making 30 million."
He continued:
"D. Scott shot damn near 45 to 50% his whole career, and the most he made was probably $7 million, so you damn right, we get mad. We get petty and guess what? We have an opinion, and our opinion counts."
Shaq didn't hold back 👀 https://t.co/NcizQ1wI3W
Durant responded to O'Neal's comments on Twitter. He noted that O'Neal is a billionaire, hinting that he shouldn't be bothered by how much money modern players make.
"Shaq is hilarious. You're a billionaire bro," Durant wrote.
Shaquille is hilarious. You’re a billionaire bro lol twitter.com/espnnba/status…
O'Neal acknowledged Durant's comments a few moments later. He joked that he's not a billionaire and is currently broke. He added that he appreciates being called funny but also noted his freedom to give his take on the matter.
"I know I'm hilarious, and I'm not a billionaire," O'Neal tweeted. "I'm actually broke but will always speak facts. Thank you (for) saying I'm funny. Means a lot."
@KDTrey5 i know i'm hillarious, and i'm not a billionaire i'm actually broke. but will always speak facts. thank you saying i'm funny means a lot
What is Shaquille O'Neal's net worth?
Kevin Durant joked on Twitter that Shaquille O'Neal is a billionaire. It's certainly possible as O'Neal has made a lot of money since retiring. He has invested in many businesses and has attached his name to a lot of brands.
So what is O'Neal's net worth? According to Celebrity Net Worth, the 50-year-old Hall of Famer is valued at around $400 million. With more investments and sponsorships in the future, it's possible O'Neal could join Michael Jordan and LeBron James in the billionaire club.
Shaq is a major real estate investor and entrepreneur. He flipped houses in New Jersey and opened an $80 million apartment complex. A retired NBA player but his net worth was estimated to still be at $400 million because of his investments! #realestateinvesting #businesstips https://t.co/XnUFP7d9vX
Speaking of investments, O'Neal also wants to become an NBA owner. On "The Big Podcast with Shaq," he expressed his desire to buy the Orlando Magic with former teammate Dennis Scott. O'Neal noted that he has the ability to buy the franchise and take them to the next level.
"Listen, we still run that franchise, and if they want to sell it us," Shaq said. "DeVos family, we're ready to go right now. ... Dennis, we got the money. You don't gotta worry about the money. But this message is going out to the DeVos family."
Orlando Magic legends, @SHAQ and @Dennis3DScott, are ready to purchase the franchise 👀 https://t.co/9TXHftpGPC
He added:
"If you're ready to sell the Orlando Magic, sell it to somebody that's going to take it to the next level. And that's us."