Gobert Claims No ‘Beef’ With Hall Of Famer Center Shaq
Jan 4, 2021, 11:00 AM
NBA Hall of Fame Center Shaquille O'Neal Photo by Roger Kisby/Getty Images for Amazon Devices and Services)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Rudy Gobert said that he’s got no beef with NBA great Shaquille O’Neal, despite a recent Instagram post from Shaq himself.
Late Sunday night the infamously petty Hall of Famer posted a photoshopped photo on his Instagram page that showed him dunking over Gobert while he was playing for the Lakers.
“I would had 45 pts 16 rebound ten missed free throws in three quarters,” O’Neal captioned the photo. “He woulda had 11 pts four rebounds and fouled out in 3 quarters. I’m a G @killakyleon”
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The post came after an appearance by O’Neal on the All Things Covered podcast in which the center took a shot at Gobert’s $205 million contract signed with the Utah Jazz this offseason.
“I’m not gonna hate, but this should be an inspiration to all the little kids out there,” O’Neal said. “You average 11 points in the NBA, you can get $200 million.”
Gobert has career averages of 11.7 points and 11 rebounds in seven seasons with the Jazz.
Gobert Responds
The Jazz center took O’Neal’s post in stride on Instagram before taking to Twitter to further squash the beef.
“😂😂😂😂,” Gobert responded. “i guess we’ll never know.”
O’Neal retired from the NBA in 2011, two seasons before Gobert was drafted by the Jazz.
Though Gobert laughed off the exchange on Instagram, it continued to permeate online leading NBA fans to believe there was a beef between the two centers. Gobert again shot down the rumors.
“There is no beef,” Gobert tweeted in response to an SLC Dunk post. “If people wanna keep speaking negatively about me or keep discrediting what i do it’s on them and all that does is show who they are. I will always be happy for a brother beating the odds. And i’m gonna keep beating the odds.”
There is no beef. If people wanna keep speaking negatively about me or keep discrediting what i do it’s on them and all that does is show who they are. I will always be happy for a brother beating the odds. And i’m gonna keep beating the odds. https://t.co/l241ZQ2Qk4
— Rudy Gobert (@rudygobert27) January 4, 2021
Shaq and Gobert Familiar With Controversy
Neither O’Neal nor Gobert is in unfamiliar territory regarding personal controversies online or otherwise.
O’Neal famously feuded with late Lakers teammate Kobe Bryant throughout his tenure in Los Angeles and beyond. Since retiring, the Hall of Famer has gone after Philadelphia 76ers center Dwight Howard throughout his many stops in the NBA, as well as Cleveland Cavaliers big man JaVale McGee.
Your move, JaVale… pic.twitter.com/8eXjDdT8yW
— Shaqtin' a Fool (@shaqtin) December 30, 2016
Gobert, meanwhile, has been the target of a handful of former NBA players online throughout his career.
The Jazz center drew the criticism of players around the league when in 2019, he cried after failing to be selected to the Western Conference All-Star team.
Golden State Warriors players Andre Iguodala and Draymond Green both took shots at Gobert, as did Houston Rockets forward P.J. Tucker after Gobert was named the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year.
💀💀💀💀💀💀💀 pic.twitter.com/n9dJoVPb70
— Rap Game Forrest Gump 🇬🇭 (@Sixfever) June 25, 2019
Gobert was the face of significant criticism worldwide when he became the face of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. The Jazz center for the first NBA player to publically test positive for the virus and had been notably cavalier in his approach to the league’s safety protocols.
In his eighth season with the Jazz, Gobert is averaging 14.5 points and 13.7 rebounds.
