“I could say what I say brother, how many rings I have? 4” - Shaquille O’Neal questions if 3x All-Star wants to be the greatest, says he doesn’t slander
Shaquille O'Neal supposedly isn't a big fan of Donovan Mitchell. While he admits that the young guard is a great player, he doesn't believe that he has what it takes to transcend levels.
While Mitchell has been fantastic, he hasn't achieved much success with the Utah Jazz so far. O'Neal has criticized him a few times and recently talked about the Jazz guard on his podcast.
Shaq knows what it takes to win it all as he was a centerpiece of many championship teams. However, he doesn't think he slandered Donovan Mitchell.
"I don't slander, I just give him information so he could be the best ever," Shaquille said. "I speak facts. I say, 'Yeah, you're good, but do you wanna be great? Do you wanna be the greatest?' You can listen to what I say or how I say it. All I know is I'm giving out information."
Mitchell should definitely listen to O'Neal and his advice, just like many other players should. But the NBA legend has sometimes taken it too far and many fans agree that he did slander the 6-foot-1 guard.
Donovan Mitchell was criticized by the four-time NBA champion
Ever since he entered the league, Donovan Mitchell has been amazing. He's been one of the most consistent scorers in the league in the past few years and is capable of scoring 25-30 points every single night.
Shaquille O'Neal, however, doesn't think that he has what it takes to be one of the greatest players of all time. Shaq has a lot of knowledge about basketball and believes that he can talk about other players since he's won multiple championships.
"Remember, I could say what I say brother. How many rings I have? Four, brother. Three in LA, one in Miami brother. And I should've gotten one in Orlando, but I didn't have the knowledge of the basketball to get there.
"See now I have the knowledge, I'm giving you the knowledge, brother. If you don't wanna take that knowledge, brother, that's on you."
Unfortunately, as amazing as Donovan Mitchell is, he couldn't carry the Utah Jazz on his own. He did help Rudy Gobert and the other players, but their competition was also very tough.
Mitchell could have a breakout season next year
Shaquille O'Neal may soon change his opinion on Donovan Mitchell. The All-Star guard will play with different players next year as Gobert was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
There are many rumors about potential trades for Mitchell, but if he stays with the Jazz, he could have a breakout season and even average more than 30 points per game.
Report: Danny Ainge and the Utah Jazz are seeking seven to eight first round picks for Donovan Mitchell, per @TheSteinLine
😳😳 https://t.co/sZLFg24tdH
The three-time All-Star is one of the most versatile scorers in the entire league. While the Jazz may not finish at the top of the standings without Gobert, it will be interesting to see how far Mitchell can carry the team on his own.