As legendary former player Shaquille O’Neal has dropped the mic on a variety of topics, it can’t be denied that his opinion is valued in the basketball world. O’Neal is known for his opinions about the NBA, with the analyst appearing on another show to debate topics involving current NBA big men.
On the show “Unsportsmanship”, O’Neal will be asked about the return of the league ideal of the “big man”, which the former player represents to a tee. However, O’Neal pushed back on that notion, saying the only two who fall into that category are Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets and Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs.
“Stop it, the big man is not back,” O’Neal said Tuesday. “Because nobody posts up. Just because you’re seven foot and hitting jumpers doesn’t make you a big man. [Nikola Jokic] He’s the only person I would consider a big man, and Wemby, those two. But I remember when every team had a center, now you have a bunch of guys running, picking and popping in one spot.
“The big guy didn’t come back … because nobody posted up. Just because you’re seven foot and hitting jumpers doesn’t make you a big guy. [Nikola Jokic] He’s the only person I’d consider a big man, and Wemby.”
-Doubt
(via @UnSportsESPN)pic.twitter.com/mirpPrKSH3
– ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) 18 February 2026
Shaquille O’Neal says big men need to ‘play percentage’
O’Neal will talk more about the change in gameplan for many of the league’s centers, which focuses on shooting from mid-range or the three-point line rather than retreating into the paint. He would be asked about whether a player like him could lead a team to a title, with O’Neal responding that it was not about being like him, and how “it’s all about playing percentage.”
O’Neal continued on the show, “It’s all about playing percentages.” “If I’m seven-foot, 300 pounds, and I’m bigger and stronger than everybody else, I want to take higher percentage shots. I want to use my skills to, you know, put the other team in a defensive position… It’s just about being smart. If I’m seven-five, I’m not picking up pops and shooting jumpers over six-one, six-two guys.”
It remains to be seen how the big men develop in the future of the NBA.
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