“He plays the game like it’s supposed to be played, not these dudes making $200-300 million and can’t play at all” - Shaquille O'Neal backs Patrick Beverley while ripping Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell

Shaquille O'Neal recently expressed his support for Patrick Beverley, while taking a dig at former Utah Jazz players Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell.

On “The Big Twirl” podcast, the former LA Lakers center said:

“Stay off my boy Pat. I’ve got nothing bad to say about Pat. You know why? He plays the game like it’s supposed to be played. Not these dudes making $200, 300 million and can’t play at all.

“When they get traded, y’all talking about. ‘Oh, Shaq hatin.’ Shaq knows what the hell he's talking about. That's why both they a**ess up out of there. Yeah, remember that Utah fans, remember that? I can look at a guy and see if he can play.”

Shaquille O'Neal added that it wasn't him hating on Gobert and Mitchell, but rather the Jazz front office who traded the two players.

“I wasn’t hating, the organization is hating that’s why both their a**ess are out of there cause I know the hell what I’m talking about.”

Weeks earlier, O'Neal said he didn't understand why fans were agitated by the LA Lakers’ acquisition of Beverley. He had previously asserted that Beverley and Russell Westbrook could figure things out as professionals despite their nasty public feud.

Shaq, however, made his comments before the Lakers acquired free-agent guard Dennis Schroder. The veteran's arrival could make Westbrook’s tenure in LA even more unpredictable.

O'Neal’s criticism of Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell isn’t something new, with the former Lakers star claiming that his comments were nothing more than a push to help the two players get better.

Utah Jazz fans lambasted Shaq on social media for hating their All-Stars. Danny Ainge’s trade of the two, however, may have vindicated the “Diesel’s” comments.

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Shaquille O'Neal could witness another trade between the LA Lakers and Utah Jazz

Having previously lacked ball handlers, the LA Lakers now feature a guard-heavy lineup with the addition of Schroder. The German international, like Patrick Beverley, could prove to be a perfect fit around LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

LA’s roster could have more balance and depth if they move the one piece they’ve been trying to trade since the February trade deadline. Reports suggest that the Lakers are still in talks with the Utah Jazz, Beverley’s former team, regarding a potential Russell Westbrook trade.

Bojan Bogdanovic, Malik Beasley and Jordan Clarkson could arrive in Hollywood in exchange for the former MVP and the Lakers’ two future first-round picks. Utah supposedly isn’t interested in any deal unless extra draft capital is on the table.

If no deal takes place before the season starts, O'Neal’s prediction of the Westbrook-Beverley partnership could come to fruition. LeBron James, Anthony Davis and probably Damian Jones or Austin Reaves could round out Darvin Ham’s starting five.

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