Watch: Shaquille O’Neal hilariously imitates Stephen A. Smith, mimics him word-for-word on the comments targeted at Kyrie Irving's potential return
There is no denying that Shaquille O'Neal was one of the most charismatic personalities throughout his career in the NBA. Although O'Neal was known for his brilliant playing style on the floor, the former legendary superstar was also popular for his personality and charisma off the court.
It's one of the reasons why O'Neal continues to be one of the most famous personalities in the sport even today, as fans are drawn to his blunt and honest comedic opinion about basketball.
Since retiring from the NBA, O'Neal has gone on to become a basketball analyst for the popular "Inside the NBA" on TNT. O'Neal has continued to have strong relationships with players throughout the NBA and he's never been afraid to speak publicly about some of the notable storylines throughout the league.
After a recent segment today on ESPN's "First Take," which featured analyst Stephen A. Smith talking about the Brooklyn Nets' on-going situation with superstar Kyrie Irving, O'Neal took to Instagram to have some fun with what was going on in the background.
The video seen below shows Shaquille O'Neal mimicking Stephen A. Smith word for word during his segment on ESPN.
Kyrie Irving trending towards a return to the Nets
The segment featuring Stephen A. Smith talked about how the Brooklyn Nets have reportedly lowered their stance on allowing superstar guard Kyrie Irving to return to the team. Irving has yet to play a game for the Brooklyn Nets this year after refusing to receive the COVID-19 vaccination.
Due to the laws set by the state of New York, all professional players must receive the vaccination in order to participate in any home games. Irving has continued to refuse the vaccination, meaning he will be unable to play in any of the Nets' home games this year.
After being away from the team, the Nets organization recently announced that they would allow Irving to rejoin the team and potentially practice. It's a situation that is going to get complicated, as Irving would most likely only be eligible to play road games this year if he continues his stance on refusing the vaccination.
While Shaquille O'Neal is most likely just having fun with his sports colleague Stephen A. Smith, the situation between the Nets and Irving is going to be a hot topic moving forward.
I think this is a DISGRACEFUL move by the NETS! https://t.co/0joBz1huZL
After coming into the year as a favorite to make it to the NBA Finals, the Brooklyn Nets struggled throughout the opening month of the 2021-22 regular season. Since then, the Nets have started to find their groove, and have climbed to the top of the standings in the Eastern Conference with an overall record of 21-9 this year. The basketball world will continue to wait patiently to see what unfolds between the Nets and Kyrie Irving moving forward.