NBA great and current analyst of TNT Shaquille O’Neal critiquing a player from this new NBA generation is nothing new today. Recently, in an interview, this former center struck the news again with his unwillingness to acknowledge Anthony Davis’ injury as a cause for his subpar performance on the court.
Shaquille O’Neal, the winner of three straight NBA championships, is immensely famous for being one of the most successful centers of the NBA, scoring 28,255 points, collecting 12,921 rebounds, and hitting 5,862 free throws.
This successful ex-NBA star has a no-nonsense attitude on and off the court, allowing him always to be vocal about his opinion and never sugarcoat any young generation of NBA players.
What did Shaquille O’Neal say about Anthony Davis’ injury?
In an episode of “The Big Podcast,” the fifteenth-time All-Star highlighted the downfall of the Lakers’ Anthony Davis’ performance due to a foot injury.
Shaq went on to explain that he still believes that Davis is a fantastic player and that he is definitely at his top; and also recalled the time in the past when he and other analysts were assuming that Anthony would look to be the best player in the league.
However, this former ace player didn’t trade on the theory of Davis’ poor performance due to the injury as he believes that injury can never be the reason for a fall in performance.
Anthony Davis, the 29-year-old Chicago native, could not reach the levels of play after the 2019-20 NBA season as he missed 42 of LA’s 82 regular season games, averaging 23.2 PPG and 9.9 REB.
Although we all know that Davis is prone to injury, which led to a decline in his normal performance, we can never say that his performance has completely declined because he was able to maintain an average of over 30 points and 13 rebounds per game following the injury of another crucial player, LeBron James.
O’Neal, known for his strong opinions and candid remarks, has also suggested Davis keep up the aggressiveness once James returns to the field, as his aggressive playing has kept the team in the playoff hunt.
As the NBA season continues to unfold, it remains to be seen whether Anthony Davis will be able to bounce back and become the jump shooter he once was.
Shaquille O’Neal will, it seems evident, continue to challenge players to a high level, and he will refuse to accept any excuses for underperformance, regardless of the outcome.
Do you support Shaq’s comment? Tell us in the comments.
