"I wish I was playing with these butter cups right now" - Shaquille O'Neal disapproves frequent rule changes in the NBA
While "Hack-a-Shaq" bothered Shaquille O'Neal throughout his career, his views on rule changes in the NBA are confounding.
On the latest episode of TNT's "The Big Podcast with Shaq," O'Neal revealed his thoughts on frequent rule changes in the NBA:
"I think it's hurting the game. It's a old saying, if it's not broke do not fix it. I think a lot of times these rules changes because people are complaining.
"It's a lot of guys being mentioned now and only a few you can pick from this dimension and bring them in. LeBron, Steph guys like that but I'm mentioned with the old aliens."
O'Neal reiterated his long-held opinion that he would be a dominant force even in today's game, adding:
"So like People always, you hating, you hating. It's not that I'm hating, I wish I was playing with these butter cups right now, I wish I was. I promise you I wish I was Playing. Ah, it'll be a slaughter house up there."
How valid are Shaquille O'Neals claims about rule changes in the NBA?
Shaquille O'Neal refers to the old adage, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," but does the league really not require any changes? Almost unequivocally, the answer is that the league does in fact need some reform.
Prior to the 2021-22 season, the NBA hadn't mended its rules surrounding foul-baiting, which led to some of the most bizarre basketball moves ever seen on the court.
Offensive players unnaturally thrust themselves into defenders, trying to draw illegitimate contact.
Drawing fouls has become less of a clever tactic used to exploit poor defenses and more of a performance art, with players trying to sell the foul as credibly as possible.
However, the NBA fixed the issue, and in a formal statement, declared the following:
For the 2021-22 NBA season, there will be an interpretive change in the officiating of overt, abrupt or abnormal non-basketball moves by offensive players with the ball in an effort to draw fouls. The following Points of Education videos showcase areas where a change was needed:
The league plans to fix yet another lingering issue that has tarnished the viewing experience just as much as the playing experience: the transition take foul.
For viewers, it is often a foregone conclusion that they will likely not witness an exciting dunk if a defender comes into the path of the ball-handler on a fast-break.
However, with the NBA Board of Governors recently agreeing to a rule change on the matter, we can hope that the 2022-23 season brings with it a flurry of exciting dunks on fast-breaks.