By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2025-04-05 16:01:30 | Updated at 2025-04-06 06:07:22
14 hours ago
Shaquille O'Neal has called for Ben Simmons to be 'arrested' in a scathing rant about the 's**' NBA.
O'Neal, who covers the league as an analyst for TNT, has received frequent blowback for being overly critical of The Association and the current state of the sport.
But he didn't hold back when speaking on his The Big Podcast with Shaq, as he eviscerated Simmons, who is averaging 5.4 points per night this season.
'People say Charles [Barkley] and I, we ruin the game talking about the product. Because the product is s***,' O'Neal said. 'Show me greatness. Like, y'all pay a lot of money for these shoes, I want to see motherf***ers be great. And I'm always going to stay on them and motivate them to be great. They can call it 'hate' all they want, but I ain't sucking these motherf***ers off just because they making $400 million. A lot of these motherf***ers can't play - and they know it in any f*** era. They can't f***ing play. [I'm] just saying.
'Pick and roll, one on one, motherf***er can't play, dawg. [Nikola Jokic] can play. Giannis [Antetokounmpo] can play. Dame [Lillard], a couple of these guys can play, but a lot of these motherf***er can't play. Ben f***ing Simmons, that motherf***er needs to be arrested.
Shaquille O'Neal blasted the NBA as 's***' and said Ben Simmons need to be 'arrested'
Ben Simmons is playing off the bench for the Clippers after the Nets bought out his contract
“A lot of motherf***ers can’t play and they know it… Ben Simmons needs to be f***ing arrested.” 😳
Shaq on the physicality of today’s NBA pic.twitter.com/7JoKm1rImb
O'Neal was then asked for his thoughts on Celtics star Jayson Tatum by his co-host Adam Lefkoe.
'Jayson Tatum can play. He's alright. I'm not going to bash him. But Ben Simmons need to be f***ing arrested. $250million for that bullsh**t Get the f*** out of my face. Robbing people, man. You can't do that.'
Simmons, a three-time NBA all star, is making over $40million this year due to the five-year, $177million extension he signed with the Sixers in 2019.
He has struggled with mental and physical health issues in the years since, as he sat out the entire 2021-22 season and played just 90 games for the Nets over parts of three seasons after being traded there.
The team bought him out of his contract in February, with the Clippers subsequently signing him to a one-year deal worth slightly over $1million.
Nonetheless, Simmons has made $203million in his career, per Spotrac.
While the 'point forward's ability has certainly diminished, O'Neal has also taken aim at players at the top of their game.
Nuggets star and three-time MVP Nikola Jokic produced a ridiculous 61-point triple-double in a loss against the Timberwolves this week.
Asked on TNT how he would stack up against the Serbian in his own prime, O'Neal said: 'Slovenian chicken...Imma make his brothers want to fight me,' as he misidentified Jokic's home country.
