Shaquille O’Neal Blasts NBA Standards Calling for Ben Simmons Be Taken Into Custody for His $250 Million Contract

These days, Shaquille O’Neal enjoys disparaging the NBA. Today’s sports media still doesn’t know how to talk about the NBA. This generation of former stars who are now analysts appears more determined than ever to undermine the current era of basketball.

The debate has gotten so horribly out of touch. There is no one more evocative than Shaquille O’Neal, who appears intent on spearheading the campaign against any player under 35.

Shaquille O’Neal lays into Ben Simmons for a grotesque contract

Shaq continued his jab at the contemporary game by subtly praising LeBron James’ longevity before changing his mind and declaring that Ben Simmons ought to be arrested for stealing $250 million.

“A lot of motherf***ers can’t play and they know it… Ben Simmons needs to be f***ing arrested.”

Shaq on the physicality of today’s NBA pic.twitter.com/7JoKm1rImb

— The Big Podcast (@bigpodwithshaq) April 4, 2025

On his show The Big Podcast, Shaquille O’Neal stated: “People get mad. It’s just a product of what I’ve seen,”

“I’ve seen what greatness is, been there, played with them. I don’t see that all the time over there. So, you want me to give these motherf*ckers the same props you giving them? That sh*t will never happen. You can call it hate if you want. Even with the word ‘hate,’ like these f*cking kids, they like to throw that word around. If you ain’t f*cking great and I’m great, how the f*ck can I hate on you? That don’t make no f*cking sense. I’m in the f*cking building, and you not in the building, so how the f*ck can I hate on you?”

“People say Charles and I, we ruin the game talking about the product because the product is sh*t,”

“Show me greatness. Like, y’all pay a lot of money for these shoes, and what for — I want to see motherf*ckers be great. And I’m always going to stay on them and motivate them to be great. They can call it ‘hate’ all they want, but I ain’t sucking these motherf*ckers off just because they making $400 million. A lot of these motherf*ckers can’t play — and they know it — in any f*cking era. They can’t f*cking play; [I’m] just saying.

“Pick and roll, one on one, motherf*cker can’t play, dawg. Joker can play. Giannis [Antetokounmpo] can play. [Damian Lillard], a couple of these guys can play, but a lot of these motherf*ckers can’t play. Ben f*cking Simmons, that motherf*cker needs to be arrested. Jayson Tatum can play. He’s alright. I’m not going to bash him. But Ben Simmons need to be f*cking arrested. $250 for that bullsh*t? Get the f*ck out of my face. Robbing people, man. You can’t do that.”

Someday, the NBA debate must move past resentful gatekeeping and focus on what’s truly taking place on the court. Because if Nikola Jokić’s 60-point triple-double doesn’t qualify as greatness, perhaps today’s players don’t understand it either.

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