Shaq Makes Strong Jayson Tatum Statement During Hall of Fame Conversation
Shaq Makes Strong Jayson Tatum Statement During Hall of Fame Conversation originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Shaquille O'Neal is a big man with big opinions. Affectionately known as "Shaq", the Hall of Famer has continued an impressive run of success in his post-playing career.
Advertisement
While becoming an integral part and staple of "Inside the NBA" on TNT, O'Neal has also carved out time to co-host multiple podcasts since retiring from the NBA. It's on this platform, where O'Neal's unfiltered opinions can roam freely.
The four-time NBA champion, and one-time NBA MVP, was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016. After calling it quits in 2011 after an incredible 19-year-career, O'Neal feels qualified to give his opinion on current players who deserve to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
During an episode of "The Big Podcast" this week, alongside Adam Lefkoe, O'Neal made a strong statement when Lefkoe suggested Jayson Tatum's NBA resume, through just eight seasons, should put him in the Hall of Fame.
"He's a Hall of Famer? You motherf***ers are just throwing people (Jayson Tatum) in there now," O'Neal said.
Advertisement
Lefkoe ran down Tatum's list of accomplishments through his eight-year-career. Tatum has been named to three All-NBA First Teams, has been named an All-Star five times, and has won an Olympic gold medal.
Tatum, who suffered a gruesome torn left Achilles tendon during the Eastern Conference semifinals, will likely miss a large portion of the upcoming 2025-26 NBA season.
NBA analyst Shaquille O'Neal and Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum.© Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | © John Jones-Imagn Images
O'Neal went on to elaborate on the current NBA players, outside of LeBron James who is assured a spot, who deserve to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
"I would have to go (Stephen) Curry, he's got three or four rings. Giannis (Antetokounmpo), and Joker (Nikola Jokic)," O'Neal said.
Advertisement
Related: Shaq Drops Multiple Expletives on Live 'Inside the NBA' Broadcast
Related: Shaq Slams Zion Williamson's Career-Best Performance During Pelicans-Clippers
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
29 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
With record crowd watching, Sky get blown out by Fever in first WNBA game at United Center
CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Sky coach Tyler Marsh recalled working the 2020 NBA All-Star game at the United Center when he was an assistant with the Toronto Raptors. He mentioned that his first experience at a WNBA All-Star game was also in Chicago — two years later at Wintrust Arena. 'It's been cool moments,' Marsh said. There was another big one on Saturday night. Though the Sky got blown out by Indiana 79-52 , it was the first WNBA game at the United Center. 'It's an incredible moment for this league,' said Marsh, in his first season coaching the Sky . 'It's an incredible moment for our team and our staff and our city, really. I think that's the cool part about it is we get to represent our city in this building on a historic night. It's not lost among us how important and significant it is — and for myself to be part of that and to represent the W in that capacity, to represent the Sky in that capacity, is something that I don't take for granted.' A matchup that got moved from the smaller Wintrust Arena and was supposed to feature two of the league's brightest young stars in Chicago's Angel Reese and Indiana's Caitlin Clark didn't play out as envisioned. The Fever rolled over the Sky for the second time this season . And they did it without the injured Clark. The 2024 Rookie of the Year missed her fourth straight game because of a quad issue and watched the primetime, nationally televised game from the sideline. That had to be a bummer for the fans who showed up wearing Clark jerseys. The enthusiastic crowd of 19,496 surpassed Chicago's previous high of 16,444 in 2016 at Allstate Arena in suburban Rosemont, though tickets weren't hard to find. They were listed on StubHub for as little as $9 a few hours before tipoff. By comparison, when Clark and Reese played their first game in Chicago last season, courtside seats at Wintrust Arena were going for $5,000 on Ticketmaster an hour before tipoff. That game drew the celebrities, with Chicago native Chance The Rapper, comedian Jason Sudeikis and New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson in the sellout crowd along with Pro Basketball Hall of Famer Cheryl Swoopes. Even so, this was a big night. And the significance of playing at the United Center wasn't lost on the players and coaches. The Sky and Fever will meet again at the home of the NBA's Bulls and NHL's Blackhawks on July 27. 'We just continue to make milestones for women,' Reese said. 'Women belong here. I think this is gonna be the first of many. Obviously, we have two here this year. But we could continue to see this — and all our games at NBA arenas.' Reese and Clark have helped carry the league to new heights in popularity after taking their rivalry from LSU and Iowa to the pros. They brought the style and swagger that captivated the nation when they were going at it in college and spurring debates about sport and society. But the night wasn't just about them. 'It just shows how much women's basketball is growing, and it's amazing to see it,' said Sky center Kamilla Cardoso, another young star. For Fever assistant Austin Kelly, who was filling in with coach Stephanie White missing the game for personal reasons, playing at the United Center brought back memories of watching the Bulls during the Michael Jordan-Scottie Pippen dynasty. 'I was born in '89,' he said. 'I played AAU basketball. We were on the road, me and my teammates were crammed into hotels — the Days Inn or whatever it was — watching them in June. A lot of memories of watching Jordan, watching the Bulls growing up. I think they were everyone's favorite team, especially youngsters like us growing up in the '90s.' Marsh said Sky player-development coach Aaron Johnson, who's from Chicago, had this game circled on his proverbial calendar. 'Since it got announced that we would be playing this game, it was something that he really got emotional about. Not to put him on Front Street, but this is a building that he grew up idolizing and sitting in the nosebleeds, and going from that to being able to step on the floor, those are the types of moments that you can't really put a price on,' Marsh said. You take those experiences for what it is and it comes with the moment, but also, you're extremely excited for our players to be a part of that as well.' ___ AP WNBA:
USA Today
37 minutes ago
- USA Today
An early look at the jersey numbers for Kentucky basketball
An early look at the jersey numbers for Kentucky basketball Mark Pope spent this offseason putting together a roster that many consider one of the country's best. They upgraded the defense, and brought in more high-level talents, adding them to a solid Freshman class, and a great group of returning players, including Otega Oweh, who removed his name from the NBA draft. The season is still a ways away, but there is plenty of excitement around the program. Pope took a squad that was cobbled together quickly to the Sweet 16 last season, so expectations are high. While fans wait for the season to get here, one of the fun parts of the summer is finding out the jersey numbers the players will wear. Kentucky hasn't released an official list yet, but there have been clues or reveals to many of them already. Here's a look at each player on the roster, and their expected number. These aren't official, and could be wrong, so take them with a grain of salt for now. Returning Players Otega Oweh Number- 00 There's no reason for Oweh to change his iconic number from last season. Fans are excited to see number 00 back on the court for his Senior season. Collin Chandler Number - 5 Chandler got better as the season wore on last year, and hit some big shots late in the season. He should be even better in year two. Trent Noah Number - 9 Noah is one of the home-grown talents on the team, and returns for his Sophomore season. His hustle and knack for making shots made him a fan favorite last year. Brandon Garrison Number - 10 The coaching staff is expecting big things from Garrison this season. He'll be one of the leaders on the team, and will get a chance to shine. The Freshmen Jasper Johnson Number - 2 If the number you've been wearing is available, you wear it. That's what Johnson, the talented guard recruit has done with the number two. Andrija Jelavic Number - 4 This is more of a prediction than fact, but Jelavic wears number four with his overseas team, and it's free, so it makes sense. Braydon Hawthorne Number - 22 Hawthorne was the last addition to the Kentucky roster, and a big recruiting win for Pope. Like Jasper Johnson, he wore #2 previously, so switching to 22 makes sense. Malachi Moreno Number - 24 Moreno will also stick with his high school number as a Wildcat. He is a multi-talented big man with loads of potential in Pope's offensive system. The Transfers Denzel Aberdeen Number - 1 It looks like Aberdeen will switch from 11 to 1 with the Wildcats. He was a big addition for Kentucky, and brings a multi-faceted skillset. Kam Williams Number - 3 This isn't official yet, but Williams wore number 3 at Tulane, and it's an open number, so it's likely that he'll keep it. He was Kentucky's first transfer commitment, and is a big-time shooter. Jaland Lowe Number - 15 Like Williams, keeping the number he's been wearing is likely for Lowe. He'll almost certainly be the starting point guard for the Wildcats, and looks to benefit from a more talented supporting cast. Jayden Quaintance Number - 21 Quaintance was number 21 at Arizona State, and will likely be number 21 at Kentucky. He is a potential superstar, and was a huge win for Pope and his staff. Mouhamed Dioubate Number - 23 This one is perhaps the most uncertain, but it has been reported that he'll take number 23. He wore number 10 at Alabama, but Garrison has that. Reece Potter Number - 33 Potter has worn numbers in the 30s in high school and at Miami (OH), so it's logical that he'll stay in that range. Number 33 is a great number if that's what he goes with.
Fox Sports
42 minutes ago
- Fox Sports
With record crowd watching, Sky get blown out by Fever in first WNBA game at United Center
Associated Press CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Sky coach Tyler Marsh recalled working the 2020 NBA All-Star game at the United Center when he was an assistant with the Toronto Raptors. He mentioned that his first experience at a WNBA All-Star game was also in Chicago — two years later at Wintrust Arena. 'It's been cool moments,' Marsh said. There was another big one on Saturday night. Though the Sky got blown out by Indiana 79-52, it was the first WNBA game at the United Center. 'It's an incredible moment for this league," said Marsh, in his first season coaching the Sky. "It's an incredible moment for our team and our staff and our city, really. I think that's the cool part about it is we get to represent our city in this building on a historic night. It's not lost among us how important and significant it is — and for myself to be part of that and to represent the W in that capacity, to represent the Sky in that capacity, is something that I don't take for granted.' A matchup that got moved from the smaller Wintrust Arena and was supposed to feature two of the league's brightest young stars in Chicago's Angel Reese and Indiana's Caitlin Clark didn't play out as envisioned. The Fever rolled over the Sky for the second time this season. And they did it without the injured Clark. The 2024 Rookie of the Year missed her fourth straight game because of a quad issue and watched the primetime, nationally televised game from the sideline. That had to be a bummer for the fans who showed up wearing Clark jerseys. The enthusiastic crowd of 19,496 surpassed Chicago's previous high of 16,444 in 2016 at Allstate Arena in suburban Rosemont, though tickets weren't hard to find. They were listed on StubHub for as little as $9 a few hours before tipoff. By comparison, when Clark and Reese played their first game in Chicago last season, courtside seats at Wintrust Arena were going for $5,000 on Ticketmaster an hour before tipoff. That game drew the celebrities, with Chicago native Chance The Rapper, comedian Jason Sudeikis and New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson in the sellout crowd along with Pro Basketball Hall of Famer Cheryl Swoopes. Even so, this was a big night. And the significance of playing at the United Center wasn't lost on the players and coaches. The Sky and Fever will meet again at the home of the NBA's Bulls and NHL's Blackhawks on July 27. 'We just continue to make milestones for women,' Reese said. 'Women belong here. I think this is gonna be the first of many. Obviously, we have two here this year. But we could continue to see this — and all our games at NBA arenas.' Reese and Clark have helped carry the league to new heights in popularity after taking their rivalry from LSU and Iowa to the pros. They brought the style and swagger that captivated the nation when they were going at it in college and spurring debates about sport and society. But the night wasn't just about them. 'It just shows how much women's basketball is growing, and it's amazing to see it,' said Sky center Kamilla Cardoso, another young star. For Fever assistant Austin Kelly, who was filling in with coach Stephanie White missing the game for personal reasons, playing at the United Center brought back memories of watching the Bulls during the Michael Jordan-Scottie Pippen dynasty. 'I was born in '89,' he said. 'I played AAU basketball. We were on the road, me and my teammates were crammed into hotels — the Days Inn or whatever it was — watching them in June. A lot of memories of watching Jordan, watching the Bulls growing up. I think they were everyone's favorite team, especially youngsters like us growing up in the '90s.' Marsh said Sky player-development coach Aaron Johnson, who's from Chicago, had this game circled on his proverbial calendar. 'Since it got announced that we would be playing this game, it was something that he really got emotional about. Not to put him on Front Street, but this is a building that he grew up idolizing and sitting in the nosebleeds, and going from that to being able to step on the floor, those are the types of moments that you can't really put a price on," Marsh said. You take those experiences for what it is and it comes with the moment, but also, you're extremely excited for our players to be a part of that as well.' ___ AP WNBA: recommended
