The feud between two of the biggest names in sports media has reached a new level. NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal has dusted off his recording equipment and unleashed a diss track aimed at three-time Super Bowl winner Shannon Sharpe over comments he perceived as “jealousy.”
On Friday, May 10, Shaq, who has not rapped in several decades, called himself the “50 Cent of the NBA” and warned that he would be releasing a song. “the @50cent of the NBA will make his last response when he wakes up from his nap. then I’m done with it. it is was it is, ain’t no fun when the rabbit got the gun,” he wrote on X before mentioning that a mixtape was coming soon. Shortly afterward, he dropped an unnamed diss song on his Instagram page.
The back-and-forth between O’Neal and Sharpe began on May 8th, when Nikola Jokic became only the ninth player in NBA history to win the MVP award at least three times. Although Jokic had a remarkable year, OKC Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, also known as SGA, had an outstanding season that many considered to be the most impressive. Shaquille O’Neal was one of those who believed this and took part in TNT’s interview with Jokic shortly after he was announced as the 2024 MVP. O’Neal used this opportunity to express his opinion to Jokic that he believed SAG was more deserving of the award.
“Joker, as the president of the Big Man Alliance, you are the vice president of the Big Man Alliance, you know I love you. You are the best player in the league, and I want to congratulate you,” O’Neal said. “I want you to hear it from me first. I thought SAG should have been the MVP. That’s no disrespect to you, but congratulations.”
Jokic did not appear to react to O’Neal’s comment until making a quick joke.
“Thank you, Shaq. We don’t judge people here. That’s fine; it’s your opinion,” Jokic said before he began laughing. “I’m joking.”
Shannon Sharpe took issue with O’Neal’s approach and suggested that the former Los Angeles Lakers big man was “jealous” of Jokic and even called out O’Neal’s apparent lack of work ethic when he was in the NBA.
“Shaq is never brought up in [GOAT conversations],” Sharpe told Chad “Ochocino” Johnson on May 8 during the “Nightcap” podcast. “And I think a part of him is envious of that.”
“If Shaq had had my work ethic, he’d have had 40,000 points,” Sharpe concluded.
O’Neal won one NBA MVP award, four championships, and three NBA Finals MVPs during his storied career.
When the NBA Big man caught wind of Sharpe’s personal jab, he responded by sharing a list written by a former Dallas Cowboys scout. The scout’s assessment named Sharpe as the 11th-best tight end in NFL history. O’Neal also suggested that Sharpe was not qualified to talk about his Hall of Fame basketball career since he was not considered a top-10 football player at his position.
“You took me sticking up for @shai as jealousy?? Shows how smart you are and how you say anything to get clicks,” Shaq wrote in an Instagram post aimed at Sharpe on May 9. “If you aren’t ranked in the top ten in your profession, then you can’t speak on Me. Don’t forget, I know what you did to get where you are. I’m jealous; it sounds like you’re jealous. I know you’re trying to stay relevant by gossiping on your podcast. We don’t believe you. You need more people. In case you forgot, four rings, three finals, MVP top 50, and top 75. Google me.”
In response, Sharpe admitted that he was not as great of an athlete as O’Neal in their respective playing days.
“I’ve never professed that I was as great as Shaq,” Sharpe said. “What I will say is I got what I got because I work my a— off.”
He then pointed out that O’Neal self-admittedly did not always take his diet and training as seriously as he could have when he was in his prime as an NBA player.
Sharpe pointed out, “Shaq has been the one that said that he didn’t work as hard, he didn’t train as hard, he didn’t eat as well as he should have, right?”
Shortly after Sharpe’s response, O’Neal made good on his promise to deliver more responses of his own and dropped his diss track that unfortunately, most of fans weren’t really fond of.
“Shannon hurt your heart,” one Instagram commenter wrote.
“Alright fr tho this getting corny. Shannon was defending you literally right before he said dat and responded and said he ain’t have no beef with you all he said was stuff you had said yourself. You didn’t work that hard. You wish you had. And you have admitted you took it too far with Dwight over personal feelings,” another fan wrote.
“Shaq super sensitive. Unc didn’t say anything to disrespect him. He was analyzing and critiquing Shaq’s game and legacy, not disrespecting and criticizing it,” another Instagram commenter replied.
