"When I came along and started beating people up, big guys started stepping out" - Shaquille O'Neal blames himself for the NBA becoming soft
Shaquille O'Neal has been critical of the lack of physicality in today's NBA. O'Neal blames himself for the league becoming soft and big men taking outside shots. The Hall of Fame center was known for his dominance in the paint during his career.
In an interview with Reem Abulleil for The Guardian, O'Neal said that he misses seeing two big guys battling it out in a game. The four-time champ believes that he's at fault for the evolution of centers from shooting inside the paint to taking 3-point shots.
"I do miss those big rivalries," O'Neal said. "I chuckle at the fact that big guys don't want to play inside no more. And it's all my fault because you're a product of your environment. So when I was watching big guys play, they fought in the middle.
"It was like, get in the middle. Right? But then when I came along and started beating people up, big guys started stepping out."
Shaquille O'Neal was a force to be reckoned with when he entered the NBA in 1992. O'Neal had a combination of size, strength and agility to dominate the game. He's quite possibly the most dominant player in history, but acknowledges that Wilt Chamberlain is in the same category.
The LA Lakers legend told Joe Holder of GQ Magazine earlier this year that he's happy that he has more rings than Chamberlain. However, he's disappointed that he didn't move past him in the NBA's all-time scoring list. He came up 307 points short when he retired in 2011.
"Now, most dominant, my category, is only one or two people," O'Neal said. "I'm fine with that. It's either me or Wilt. I already passed Wilt in championships. ... I was also chasing points to catch up with Wilt. ... Because I didn't pass him, I have to allow people to still say his name."
To read Shaquille O'Neal's entire interview with The Guardian, click here.
What would Shaquille O'Neal do if he played in the NBA today?
When Reem Abulleil of The Guardian asked Shaquille O'Neal about playing in today's NBA, the former MVP was adamant that he would be unstoppable. Shaq thinks that nobody in the league right now can guard him one-on-one. His physicality is too much to handle and opposing defenders would be too sore to make shots.
"All these jump-shooters. … That just tells me you don't like contact," O'Neal said. "I would just beat you up. And now you're trying to guard me, you don't have those legs and your arms are sore. Your shot won't be falling the same."
The closest player to Shaq in the NBA today is Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks. Antetokounmpo has been dubbed as this generation's Shaquille O'Neal. Both players are dominant in the paint and move well for their size.
However, Antetokounmpo has the opportunity to possibly add more to his skillset and end up better than O'Neal. "The Greek Freak" would be unstoppable if he could develop his 3-point shot. He's improved his jumper and free-throw shooting, but hitting shots from beyond the arc could take him to the next level.