Over the last several days, a feud has been escalating between ESPN analyst Shannon Sharpe and TNT Sports analyst Shaquille O’Neal that stemmed from the results of the 2024 NBA MVP vote. Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić won the award for the third time in his career and took part in a live interview with Inside the NBA, in which O’Neal told him that he believed the award should have gone to Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander instead. This led to Sharpe discussing why O’Neal would divulge that opinion during an interview on a recent edition of the Nightcap podcast with Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson.
Part of his rationalization was that O’Neal was jealous that he is never mentioned in conversations about being the greatest basketball player of all time. Sharpe then stated that if O’Neal had his work ethic, he would have had 40,000 points in his NBA career. O’Neal won one MVP award during his 19-year NBA career and was named a member of the All-Star team 15 times. Moreover, he is a four-time NBA champion and three-time NBA Finals MVP, widely regarded as one of the most dominant centers to ever play the sport.
“Shaq should have five MVPs,” Sharpe said. “He sees a guy like Nikola Jokić that’s not as dominant as him and gets three in four years, but see when you historically great, they talk about you as great basketball player, – the G.O.A.T. – and Shaq is never brought up, and I think a part of him is envious of that.”
In a post on Instagram that featured an image of Sharpe being ranked No. 51 among the top 100 characters in NFL history, O’Neal took umbrage towards what had been said about him. Additionally, he stated that he should be greeted as “the most dominant ever” and that Sharpe did not have his qualifications. Sharpe, who played in the National Football League for 14 seasons with the Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens, is a Hall of Fame tight end, four-time All-Pro and three-time Super Bowl champion. He is reportedly on the verge of signing a multi-year contract extension with ESPN that will continue his Monday and Tuesday appearances on First Take.
“I know you tryna stay relevant by gossipping on your podcast,” O’Neal said. “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 too. if you need help making money it’s better ways than gossiping.”
Sharpe responded to what O’Neal said on Thursday’s edition of Nightcap by explaining that he got everything out of his natural talents. Furthermore, he explained that he was not as good at football as O’Neal was at basketball. Sharpe then asked O’Neal if he believed that he gave everything that he possibly could have in basketball. If the answer to this question was ‘No,’ Sharpe believes it underscores just how great O’Neal was in that he still won NBA championships and is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
“Did the train the way you should have? Did you eat the way you should have? That just goes to show you how great you was is that you didn’t,” Sharpe said. “You allowed your weight to get out of control, the injuries started to creep up and you got four rings and you got three Finals MVPs.”
On Friday afternoon, O’Neal released a diss track towards Shannon Sharpe in which he criticized his opinions towards the entire situation. O’Neal had previously released diss tracks targeted towards then-Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard, precipitated by Lillard saying he was a better rapper than O’Neal. Upon sharing the diss track to his Instagram page, O’Neal said that he was “done with this.”
“but remember #noweqponformedagainstmeshallprosper #buffalosoldier #omegapsiphi,” O’Neal said within his post. “you can never break the UNBreakable. and to all the people that kno both of us don’t call me, it will never be a sit down. #loveyall.”
