SUMMARY
- Shaquille O'Neal admits that his free throw percentage was what kept him away from the GOAT debate.
- The 52-year-old tries to criticize players to teach them a lesson.
Shaquille O’Neal has been very candid about his career for quite some time now, revealing various instances that he could’ve been better or simply learned to appreciate the time he spent. The 52-year-old is widely considered as the “big brother” of the NBA as he generally loves helping the current generation get better at what they do. And most importantly, Shaq never shies away from speaking the truth.
O’Neal was arguably the most dominant player the league has ever seen, especially in his position. While he didn’t get on par with Michael Jordan or other players like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or Kobe Bryant, he is considered as one of the many all-time greats. There were a few flaws to his game that genuinely impacted his GOAT status negatively and he made a major admission during a recent appearance on The Draymond Green Show.
Shaquille O’Neal admits that his free throw numbers were terrible
Shaquille O’Neal wasn’t afraid to address the criticism he received regarding the skills he carried over the years while dominating the league and winning four titles. He claimed that his free throw shot was precisely what kept him away from being the greatest ever to do it. He said, “We all get criticized. You know, I was told one day, if there’s some truth in the criticism, you have to look at it [differently].”
He added, “Like, Shaq could’ve been the greatest player ever but he wasn’t a great free throw shooter. Can’t get mad at that, there’s truth in that, right?” Shaq only shot 52.7% from the charity stripe throughout his career. The lowest he’s ever averaged was 42.2% during the 2006-07 season in Miami. He has the fifth-worst career free throw percentage in NBA history. However, Wilt Chamberlain ranks fourth despite being one of the most dominant scorers before the three-point line came into existence.
Shaquille O’Neal reveals why he criticizes current players
Speaking of the criticism Shaquille O’Neal received, there is a major reason why he tends to push people’s buttons. We’ve seen him be brutally honest with players like Dwight Howard or more recently, Nikola Jokic. Normally people perceive it as hate, but Shaq claims he criticizes them to help them get better. “When I criticize players, I try to put some truth in it,” he said.
Dwight Howard challenges Shaquille O’Neal, Shaq responds with a give-and-go between DH12’s legs for the slam pic.twitter.com/27xImBGvyR
— hoops bot (@hoops_bot) July 5, 2023
“For 10-15 years, people think that I hate Dwight [Howard]. I actually really love Dwight. A little bit of me, probably a little bit more athletic, and [can] jump higher… That’s what Kareem Abdul-Jabbar did to me. When I first got to LA I was putting up historical numbers and we [were] getting swept. They said Shaq man, Shaq’s going to be a great player like you [Kareem]. He said is he really that great? They’re not winning,” Shaq added.
O’Neal claims that Kareem tried to teach him a lesson that he’s got to play harder and better than everybody else. That’s exactly what Shaq does to everybody else in the league these days.