Shaquille O’Neal delivers a destructive assessment of the direction of NBA when the final is approaching

Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal is not happy with the current state of NBA Basketball.

O’Neal, 53, regretted how the game had become ‘soft’.

“The competition becomes soft, the game gets soft and a few people are needed to bring it back,” O’Neal said during a recent appearance “New heights. “

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The 15-time NBA All-Star does not like the trend of centers that shoot 3-Pointers and the big men who dominate in the paint is preferred.

“Like, I hate photographing big boys (3-Pointers). Victor Wembanyama is a great player, but I would love to see him dominate that people start complaining, and they change the rules such as when I did. I could shoot, but I am not going to shoot (3-POINTER),” said O’Neal.

“Why should I shoot a (3-Pointer) if I could put your little A-in the basket and Dunk on you and put these balls in your face.”

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Shaquille O’Neal (right) conversations prior to game 3 of the 2025 NBA Eastern Conference Finals in Gainbridge Fieldhouse May 25, 2025, in Indianapolis. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)

O’Neal also expressed his contempt for the current NBA All-Star Game format.

“Our NBA All-Star format is terrible. I don’t know who is in charge, but it’s terrible,” said O’Neal.

This season’s format of the NBA had set four different teams in a mini tournament by O’Neal, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith. The fourth team in the format was the winner of the Rising Stars Challenge.

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Shaquille O’Neal Watches Game 4 of the 2024 Western Conference Finals between the Dallas Mavericks and the Minnesota Timberwolves in American Airlines Center 28 May 2024, in Dallas, Texas. (Jerome Miron/USA Today Sports)

Over the years, the NBA has worked on the format in the hope of making more effort from players. Regardless of the format, the players did not make 100% efforts during the game and the product has decreased.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said that next year’s all-star game will be the US versus world, but he is “not exactly what the size will be” during a recent appearance on “Breakfast ball. ”

The NBA final start on Thursday at 8:30 PM etc. between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers.

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