Shaquille O'Neal Brutally Calls Out Zion Williamson

Zion Williamson has faced a lot of criticism during his short NBA career. Allegations of a lack of maturity and work ethic have led to off-court controversies and health issues for the superstar, drawing attacks from numerous online fans. However, following his latest performance, a Hall of Famer has now entered the discussion.

Pelicans Get Destroyed by Lakers

The Pelicans haven't won a single playoff series in the last five years. Although last season showed signs of improvement with a 42-40 finish, they unfortunately missed the playoffs. As a new season begins, the Pelicans seem poised for a playoff run, especially after a positive start, notably reaching the semi-finals of the in-season tournament before their recent game against the Lakers.

However, the Lakers' performance last night made the Pelicans appear outmatched. They secured a commanding 44-point victory in what was anticipated as the biggest game of the season thus far. A significant part of this dominance undoubtedly stemmed from the incredible performance of 38-year-old LeBron James, who broke the Lakers' record for the quickest 30-point game ever last night.

LeBron James just had the quickest 30-point game in Lakers franchise history.

🤯🤯 (Via @StatMamba) pic.twitter.com/uEEjk19581— BronMuse (@BronMuse) December 8, 2023

Setting the Lakers' greatness aside, the primary reason for the Pelicans' loss was the collapse of their three best players: Ingram, McCollum, and Williamson. All three had a dismal showing in Las Vegas, combining for only 31 points. As the supposed "best player," Zion bore the brunt of the ensuing media scrutiny, including a brutal onslaught of comments from Shaquille O'Neal.


Shaq Brutally Trashes Zion

Shaquille O'Neal, alongside the Inside the NBA crew, served as TV analysts for the semi-final matchup. After Zion's poor performance, Diesel didn't hold back, hurling a plethora of criticisms at his game and his perceived lack of effort.


As brutal as his comments were, it's unlikely that there's legitimate beef between the two, as it's part of Shaq's job to critique the NBA and its stars. Perhaps in this case, it went unnecessarily far, but it could also be seen as O'Neal attempting to light a fire under Williamson for motivation. He proceeded to criticize Zion's lackluster rebounding efforts while recalling advice he received after facing similar criticisms early in his career.

Shaq on the deficiencies in Zion's Williamson game:

"I was just like him." pic.twitter.com/bEWBwTvJuJ— Oh no he didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) December 8, 2023

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