Shaq’s history with the Jazz may explain his beef with Rudy Gobert

NBA Corridor-of-Famer Shaquille O’Neal retains going proper at former Utah Jazz middle Rudy Gobert. In an interview with Complicated, he proclaimed Gobert the “Worst Participant of All Time,” citing that Gobert makes a lot cash, but his groups cannot rely on him within the fourth quarter.

This isn’t a brand new improvement. O’Neal’s contempt for Gobert has been a factor for years, courting again to when he was with the Jazz, however is that this actually all due to Gobert’s limitations, or may there be one thing else at play right here?

Possibly Shaq’s disdain for Gobert is solely that he does not like him, or possibly there’s one thing else at play right here. O’Neal doesn’t have the fondest reminiscences of Utah from his enjoying days. That won’t issue into his points with Gobert, however it’s a reality nonetheless.

It was 1996. Invoice Clinton had been re-elected president of the USA, OJ Simpson was being sued for the wrongful loss of life of his ex-wife and Ron Goldman, and Shaq had shifted all the NBA panorama when he left Orlando for Hollywood.

By becoming a member of the Lakers, Shaq gave them relevance for the primary time since Magic Johnson’s retirement. Including in some unknown rookie named Kobe Bryant, and the Lakers had title odds once more. The one drawback is that the Utah Jazz stood of their approach.

The Jazz and Lakers confronted off within the 1997 Western Convention Semifinals, the place Shaq had a reasonably embarrassing efficiency for somebody like him. Averaging 22 factors and 11.6 rebounds, O’Neal didn’t do a lot to assist the Lakers keep away from dropping in a gentleman’s sweep.

This was highlighted of their elimination recreation, the place O’Neal put up 23 factors however was among the many victims of Greg Ostertag’s 9 blocks.

Observe that O’Neal had a dangerous historical past with Ostertag throughout this time.

This sequence can also be recognized for an infamously dangerous efficiency from one other specific all-time participant, but it surely does not change how badly the Lakers flopped.

The next yr, O’Neal was a lot better, plus the Lakers took one other step additional, going to the Western Convention Finals. Nevertheless, regardless of O’Neal’s 31.8 factors and 9.3 rebounds a recreation, it wasn’t sufficient to keep away from getting swept by, you guessed it, the Utah Jazz.

It is honest to say it wasn’t completely his fault, but it surely did not matter. Regardless of Shaq’s unreal expertise, it nonetheless wasn’t sufficient to beat the Jazz. O’Neal went on to have a formidable resume, however the Jazz performed a component in pushing him into changing into the participant he grew to become.

Gamers keep in mind the groups that beat them essentially the most. By extension, in addition they keep in mind the groups they by no means beat. Amongst all of O’Neal’s accolades, one of many few issues he by no means achieved was beating the Jazz within the postseason.

Even when O’Neal and the Lakers lastly received over the hump, they by no means received previous the Jazz to just do that. By the point they did, Karl Malone and John Stockton have been yesterday’s information. It might not shock anybody if the notion that he by no means beat the staff that saved beating him nonetheless bugs him to the purpose the place he’ll discover any motive to criticize present or former Jazz gamers.

May his failure to beat these Jazz groups again within the 90s play a component in why O’Neal does not like Gobert? Who’s to say? Apart from, Gobert’s not the one present participant who Shaq has criticized at size.

Nevertheless it does appear odd that Shaq is among the many largest voices on the Rudy Gobert hate prepare. That is very true provided that Gobert’s calling card is his rim-protecting skills and that one of many main causes Shaq and the Lakers by no means beat the Jazz was Ostertag’s rim safety.