Shaquille O’Neal, who has never been shy of letting his opinions known about the physicality during his era, once again voiced his frustration with the state of today’s game. Speaking on his podcast alongside co-host Adam Lefkoe and comedian Godfrey, O’Neal criticized the lack of defensive intensity in the modern NBA.
The Diesel’s comments stemmed from a specific instance during a Lakers-Spurs game, where he found the defensive matchup baffling. Shaquille O’Neal’s frustration was sparked while watching Austin Reaves of the Los Angeles Lakers guarding Victor Wembanyama, the 7’5” rookie phenom from the San Antonio Spurs.
The stark height mismatch left the Hall of Famer unimpressed, leading him to vent his dissatisfaction with today’s defensive strategies.
How do you switch a 5’11 guy on a 7’5 guy? I saw Austin Reaves on Wembanyama and turned the TV off. Come on, man. What are we doing here? It’s f*cking terrible.
Shaquille O’Neal asked rhetorically
Shaq says today’s NBA is “f*cking terrible” and soft, criticizing teams for lacking real defensive strategies and relying too much on switching everything on defense
“How do you switch a 5’11 guy on a 7’5 guy?”
(🎥 @bigpodwithshaq / https://t.co/ciIKDoO4Al) pic.twitter.com/mcQtdVUjK0
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) December 11, 2024
O’Neal’s critique highlights what he perceives as a fundamental shift in the NBA’s defensive philosophy. In his era, defensive assignments were largely based on size and strength, with players tasked with holding their ground against dominant big men like Shaq himself. In contrast, today’s NBA often employs a “switch everything” approach, prioritizing versatility and positionless basketball.
Physicality, which defined Shaquille O’Neal’s playing days, has also been replaced by a faster-paced game centered on shooting and ball movement. While this evolution has increased scoring and entertainment value, critics like Shaq do argue that it has come at the expense of the gritty, hard-nosed ‘grit and grind’ basketball that defined the pre-2010 era of basketball.
Shaquille O’Neal’s teammate, the late Kobe Bryant once revealed why the NBA is becoming soft
Shaquille O’Neal’s criticism aligns with sentiments expressed by his former teammate and HOF’er, Kobe Bryant. Before his tragic passing, Bryant openly shared his views on how rule changes and a shift in league culture had made the NBA less physical and, by extension, less competitive.
Kobe Bryant attributed much of this shift to the abolition of hand-checking in 2004. The rule change, which disallowed defenders from using their hands to impede offensive players, significantly altered the game’s dynamics. As a result, scoring surged while defensive capabilities diminished, something which drew the ire of many former players like Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal.
It’s more enjoyable if there’s a certain level of physicality. It’s more competitive; you get to see players go mano a mano a little bit as opposed to, ‘Oh my god, he put a hand on me; it’s a foul.’ That’s got to go. I feel like European basketball is more physical than the NBA is right now.
Kobe Bryant said in an interview in 2018
This emphasis on fundamentals and toughness has led to an influx of international players excelling in the NBA. Stars like Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Luka Doncic dominate today’s league, bringing a blend of skill and resilience which they honed in Europe’s more rugged basketball culture.
Nikola Jokic, especially, has brought back some of the dominance of the big man, even inciting Shaquille O’Neal to place the Serbian center above himself all time. While many have voiced their criticism of the playstyle followed in modern basketball, it’s certainly not looking to slow down any time soon, with teams breaking offensive records on any given night.
