Shaquille O’Neal Refusing to Credit Rudy Gobert For Shutting Down Nikola Jokic Angers Fans – “Just Old Haters Now”

Shaquille O'Neal has long made it a habit of either trolling or mocking Minnesota Timberwolves star Rudy Gobert.

Shaquille O’Neal Refusing to Credit Rudy Gobert For Shutting Down Nikola Jokic Angers Fans – “Just Old Haters Now”

Rudy Gobert, Nikola Jokic, and Shaquille O'Neal (Image via FirstSportz)

In Short
  • Shaquille O'Neal refused to credit Rudy Gobert for his defensive performance against Nikola Jokic, stating Jokic had a bad game.
  • Fans expressed anger at O'Neal's comments, calling them disrespectful and indicative of his bias against modern big men.
  • Rudy Gobert's Minnesota Timberwolves face challenges in the playoffs, with key players Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo injured.

Rudy Gobert has come back into the limelight after his exemplary defense on Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic left the latter with some games to forget.

Many felt that Game 1 was an anomaly, as the Serbian has generally had the upper hand when it comes to his battles against the Frenchman.

Then came Game 2, and Gobert reminded everyone again that there is a reason why he has won four Defensive Player of the Year awards. But it seems someone was not convinced.

Joker has dominated him a lot, right? He has one bad game… When you’re a guy like Joker, you’re just missing shots. I’m not going to sit up here and say Rudy Gobert is shutting him down. I’m never going to say that.

Shaquille O’Neal said

Even when his Inside the NBA colleagues reminded him that Gobert has shut Jokic down throughout the playoffs, O’Neal still did not change his stance.

The latter has made it a habit of trolling the Minnesota Timberwolves’ center over his past performances. That is what led him to refuse to credit Gobert, even though, to his colleagues and everyone else, he has put on a clinic.

Sure, there are times in the past when anyone would question whether the NBA handed Gobert a Defensive Player of the Year award. But in this instance, Shaquille O’Neal was all alone.

Fans fume at Shaquille O’Neal’s constant disrespect for Rudy Gobert

That stance did not sit well with basketball fans. Even those who questioned Rudy Gobert’s defensive prowess in the past appreciated him for his performances throughout this first-round series.

Then to listen to Shaquille O’Neal discredit the 33-year-old while trying to defend Nikola Jokic was a bit too much for them. Fans took to social media to slam the Hall of Famer for his pettiness. Check out examples of those reactions below.

Fans believe that this was Shaquille O’Neal showing his petty side all over again, as he generally does not like the way big men play in today’s game. On top of that, the Diesel also does not appreciate players such as Rudy Gobert earning a lot more than the Lakers’ great ever did.

Rudy Gobert and Wolves face uphill battle in playoffs

While Rudy Gobert and his Minnesota Timberwolves have done their part to take a commanding series lead against the Denver Nuggets, they will have to battle the last game or two without two of their most important players.

Anthony Edwards holding his knee
Anthony Edwards holding his knee (Image via FTW/X)

Donte DiVincenzo exited the game early while grabbing his Achilles tendon. A while later, Anthony Edwards‘ knee buckled awkwardly, forcing him to head to the locker room.

Now, both are out, with DiVincenzo done for the season. Edwards will still require awhile to recover, which means he could miss the Wolves’ second-round series altogether.

They will probably face the hot-handed San Antonio Spurs, which means it will be on Rudy Gobert, Jaden McDaniels, Julius Randle, and breakout star Ayo Dosunmu to lead their charge.

It will be difficult, but if they can continue to use their unpredictability to keep their season alive, maybe Anthony Edwards can return at some point and help them take the next step.

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