On Inside The NBA Thursday night Shaquille O’Neal challenged Donovan Mitchell in their postgame interview. Mitchell had just put together an impressive performance with 36 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists in a win over the New Orleans Pelicans. O’Neal decided to gloss over the performance and instead call out Mitchell on live television. O’Neal said, “you don’t have what it takes to get to the next level.” Mitchell responded by saying, “aight, I’ve been hearing that since my rookie year.” The moment was awkward and has led to O’Neal being heavily criticized for his comments.
NBA stars Lebron James and Kevin Durant were not happy with O’Neal’s interview, voicing their opinions on social media. They both said how they felt it was soft hate and that the old heads need to enjoy retirement. I have no problem with the way O’Neal handled the interview because he has the right to make that kind of statement. I think the media needs more people like O’Neal because he is willing to criticize players instead of coddling them.
What has Donovan Mitchell done to not receive this criticism? The farthest he has gone in the playoffs is the second round, which is not that great of an accomplishment. Mitchell has underachieved in the playoffs, including last season when he blew a 3-1 lead against the Denver Nuggets. I think people need to pump the brakes with their criticism of the interview because O’Neal is highlighting how pathetic the new generation is. The new generation of fans celebrates going to the second round and posting meaningless regular-season statistics.
I think Donovan Mitchell should be criticized because he is just another player who puts up good regular-season numbers. The younger generation needs to understand that winning is all that matters, and Mitchell has yet to show that he can. Everyone who says the older players need to enjoy retirement look stupid because they play in a soft era with mentally weak players who need coddling. It’s a shame that this generation of players in the NBA don’t respect the older generation and what they did for the game.
I think we need more of this in professional sports because it has gotten too soft for my liking. We need to keep it real with players and not give false narratives. Shaquille O’Neal is my kind of guy because he kept it real with Donovan Mitchell and told the truth.
Thompson's Takes 