Shaquille O’Neal and Karl-Anthony Towns Interaction on ESPN Gets Awkward

Shaquille O'Neal got upset with how Karl-Anthony Towns responded to his challenge.

Shaquille O’Neal and Karl-Anthony Towns Interaction on ESPN Gets Awkward

Karl-Anthony Towns and Shaquille O'Neal

Karl-Anthony Towns led the New York Knicks to an impressive victory on Saturday night. The Knicks pulled off one of the comebacks of the season as they were down by as much as 16 points heading into the fourth quarter. In the end, the Knicks prevailed 108-106 over the Houston Rockets at Madison Square Garden.

The Knicks came into Saturday’s game losing their first game after the All-Star Game to the Detroit Pistons. And it looked like they were going to suffer the same fate against the Rockets. They trailed for most of the game but eventually outscored Houston 33–15 in the fourth quarter to get the win.

The win propelled the Knicks to third place in the Eastern Conference standings and improved their record to 36-21. Meanwhile, the Rockets remain at fourth place in the Western Conference standings with a 34-21 record.

There has been quite a bit of criticism surrounding Karl-Anthony Towns over the past few weeks. When the Knicks traded for Towns in 2024, they were looking for a player who would share the scoring burden with Jalen Brunson.

The Inside the NBA show, hosted by Ernie Johnson, joined on set by three analysts and former NBA players: Kenny Smith, Shaquille O’Neal, and Charles Barkley, is back to doing what they do best. After facing some criticism from Barkley over scheduling issues, the show has seen more appearances on ESPN lately.

Following the win, Towns appeared on Inside the NBA postgame, and O’Neal praised the 30-year-old for his performance before the interaction turned awkward. O’Neal started off by saying:

If you guys win the chip, of course they’ll talk about Brunson but its you and your play. You have to be dominant.

KAT replied:

They can talk about anybody as long as we get a ring that’s the most important thing.

O’Neal:

No, you gotta play great. Your apart of that 1-2 punch.

KAT:

Hell yeah but the main goal is to win it dont matter about who gets the credit.

O’Neal:

Nope you gotta play great to get the credit.

O’Neal did not like how Towns responded and made it clear later on that he does not want to see players respond in that manner when he challenges them. Towns played a good game and scored a team-high 25 points to go along with seven rebounds.

NBA fans react to Karl-Anthony Towns and Shaquille O’Neal’s awkward interaction

There is no doubt that if the Knicks have to contend for a championship, they need Towns to play at his best, and the game against the Rockets showed why. With Brunson struggling in the first half, it was KAT who kept the Knicks alive during the game.

Following the awkward conversation between Towns and O’Neal, NBA fans did not waste any time reacting to it across social media.

O’Neal knows what it takes to be great and a champion. He was trying to motivate Towns to be more dominant whenever he takes to the court. But Towns had a different approach and believes that as long as he wins a ring, it does not matter.

Shaquille O’Neal called out Karl-Anthony Towns for playing soft

The Knicks center has not performed to his best this season, which has led the team to be too reliant on Brunson. Towns is currently averaging 19.9 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 52 appearances, which is his lowest points per game since his rookie season.

O’Neal, who has been extremely critical of today’s big men, called out the 30-year-old for playing soft on Inside the NBA.

Karl-Anthony Towns has to step up after two embarrassing games
Karl-Anthony Towns has to step up (Image via Open Source/X)

I would say this to his face if I was his teammate, he’s playing soft. Playing really soft. You gonna have to decide who you wanna be. Inside or outside, but whatever you decide you have to be consistent. You can’t say, ‘I’m the greatest big man shooter,’ and play like he been playing. When he plays like that, me and Chuck do not have a problem.

This isn’t the first time that Towns has been called soft, and it won’t be the last. It is a label that has stuck with him throughout his career, and he hasn’t been able to shake it off.

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