Two sports media heavyweights are trading haymakers.
NBA royalty Shaquille O’Neal and NFL great Shannon Sharpe, who both won several championships in their playing careers and are enshrined in their respective Halls of Fame, are feuding after O’Neal conducted a controversial interview with Nuggets star Nikola Jokic earlier this week.
As Jokic was awarded his third NBA MVP in four years, O’Neal told him directly that he thought the honor should have gone to emerging Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander this season.
“Joker as the president of the Big Man Alliance – you are the vice president of the Big Man Alliance – you know I love you. The best player in the league, I want to congratulate you.” O’Neal told Jokic on TNT’s “Inside the NBA.”
“I want you to hear it from me first, I thought SGA should have been the MVP. That’s no disrespect to you, but congratulations.”
On his “Nightcap” podcast with Chad Johnson and Gilbert Arenas, Sharpe psychoanalyzed why Shaq would make things awkward like this.
Sharpe said that O’Neal, who only won one MVP in his career, should have had five of them with his level of dominance.
“Shaq is never brought up in [GOAT conversations],” Sharpe said. “And I think a part of him is envious of that.”
Sharpe eventually got personal by taking a jab at Shaq’s dedication to the game.
“If Shaq had had my work ethic, he’d have had 40,000 points,” Sharpe said.
O’Neal responded to the barbs on multiple platforms.
Posting on X, O’Neal shared a list written by legendary late former Cowboys scout Gil Brandt that listed Sharpe as the 11th best tight end in NFL history, and implied that disqualified Sharpe from evaluating his basketball career.
“gotta be top ten in your profession, before you speak on someone in there [sic] profession,” O’Neal wrote.
Sharpe was a four-time All-Pro and three-time Super Bowl champion with the Broncos and Ravens.
O’Neal also posted a fiery response to Sharpe on Instagram.
“you took me sticking up @shai ask jealousy of joker. shows how smart you are and how you say anything to get clicks. so here’s some click bait for you,” O’Neal wrote.
“if you ain’t ranked in the top ten in your profession, then you can’t speak on Me. don’t forget i know what you did to get were you at. me jealous, sounds like you jealous. i kno you tryna stay relevant by gossiping on your podcast. we don’t believe you. you need more people and in case you forgot. 4 rings three finals Mvp top 50 and top 75. google me.
“and to b quite frank all this new success you got, you still under me. u don’t kno my work ethic. but according i work less than you but im worth more than you. make it make sense. love you to. if you need help making money it’s better ways than gossiping. i’m to old for this s–t love always the most dominant big man ever who never took it serious. remember i don’t know you. and in the words of @skipbayless im better than you. #g14classification i have it, you don’t, not in my profession. and your goat debate , never wanted to be the goat i wanted to be who you should greet me as THE MOST DOMINANT EVER. #theapexpredator.”
Responding to Shaq’s barbs in the middle of the night, Sharpe said that he knew he wasn’t as good as Shaq was at basketball in his football career, but he knew he got every ounce of production out of his natural talents.
Shaq has promised that there will be further response later in the day on Friday.
