NBA icon Shaquille O’Neal has launched a scathing attack on Ben Simmons, suggesting the Los Angeles Clippers guard should be “needs to be arrested” for allegedly swindling over £155million ($200m) throughout his career. The towering former centre, who boasts four NBA titles and 1,207 games under his belt across a glittering 19-year career, hung up his sneakers in 2011. Now a respected NBA analyst for TNT Sports, drawing in a cool $15 million annually for his insights, Shaq’s passion for the game he once dominated remains undimmed.
Speaking on ‘The Big Podcast’ alongside comedian Roy Wood Jr. , Shaq didn’t hold back when discussing LeBron James’ enduring presence in the league and the perceived decline in player quality. He lambasted today’s players for not living up to past legends, directly calling out Simmons for what he views as theft of a lavish lifestyle.
“People get mad. It’s just a product of what I’ve seen,” O’Neal declared. “I’ve seen what greatness is, been there, played with ’em. I don’t see that all the time over here. So, you want me to give these motherf—– the same props you giving them?
“That s— will never happen. You can call it hate if you want. People say Charles [Barkley] and I, we ruin the game talking about the product. Because the product is s—. Show me greatness. Like, y’all pay a lot of money for these shoes, I want to see motherf—— 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—— off just because they make $400 million. A lot of these motherf—— can’t play – and they know it, in any f—— era. They can’t f—— play. [I’m] just saying.”
O’Neal then praised players like Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, and Jayson Tatum, but didn’t hold back when it came to Simmons. “A couple of these guys can play, but a lot of these motherf—— can’t play,” O’Neal added.
“Ben f—— Simmons, that motherf—– needs to be arrested. $250 [million] for that bulls—? Get the f— out of my face. Robbing people, man. You can’t do that.”
Simmons was the top pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, but his career has been plagued by injuries. He missed his first season due to injury, a recurring theme throughout his career.
However, he made an impressive debut in the 2017-18 season, earning the title of Rookie of the Year and three consecutive All-Star selections.
While playing for Philadelphia, Simmons seemed to be on the right track. But everything changed when he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets in February 2022 for future first-round picks.
Shortly after the trade, Simmons was diagnosed with a herniated disk in his back and was sidelined for the rest of the season.
Simmons made a comeback in the following season with an appearance on October 19, 2022, but encountered yet another setback with a back injury in March 2023, this one inflicting nerve damage that saw him instantly sidelined for the rest of the campaign and absent for the initial 38 games of the subsequent season.
On February 8, the Nets finalised a buyout of Simmons’ contract. Within just two days, he signed a $1.08 million one-year deal with the Clippers.
Over his career, Simmons has pocketed upwards of $200 million, a sum bolstered by the colossal $170 million five-year contract inked with the 76ers on July 15, 2019.
Throughout his NBA journey, Simmons has clocked in 379 matches yet has also missed 108 due to various injuries and personal matters. Now, settled in Los Angeles, Simmons opened up to the New York Post about his new chapter.
“Feels like home, honestly,” he shared.
“I never really felt like New York was home for me. Being in LA, I feel like me as a person, it’s my kind of scenery or environment to be in. I think I thrive in situations like that. It was a blessing and a great experience to be in New York and experience being in New York City, there’s no city in the world like it. But I’m happy where I’m at, I love being in LA.”
This article originally appeared on Mirror US
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