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LA Lakers legend Shaquille O'Neal has always been known as one of the most dominant big men to ever step foot in the NBA.
Throughout his illustrious career, O'Neal revolutionized the center position. Never had the basketball world seen a player with such a tremendous combination of size, power and athleticism.
Shaquille O'Neal was a daunting assignment for any defender. He had the strength to overpower his opponents with relative ease. But O'Neal wasn't afraid to let his talking do the work as well.
One of the most vocal players in the NBA on and off the court, Shaq has never been afraid to let his opinion be heard. It's part of the reason he's had so much success in his post-playing career as an analyst on TNT's "Inside the NBA."
O'Neal has always garnered respect from players around the NBA. He's also never been shy about letting some stars know that they need to demand more from themselves.
Speaking recently on an episode of "The Big Podcast with Shaq," the NBA legend shared his personal experiences growing up. His father constantly demanded better out of Shaq when it came to his basketball. Shaq said:
"When I was coming up one time, I got an article from the paper saying Shaq is the third best player in the city. I was so happy. My father was like, you happy about being number three and crumbled the paper up my face and threw it.
"And then the next year, I came back and it says the best in the US. Instead of going, my dad said I'm not good. I said, okay, sarge. Watch what I do in 365 days.
"That's all what I'm trying to get some of these guys to do. They're making so much money and they're so sensitive, how about I don't give a shit how sensitive you are. How about that? Because you know why?
Shaquille O'Neal believes that some of the NBA stars today don't have that desire to consistently want to chase greatness. He believes that some individuals focus too much on what the public says and can be a bit too "sensitive," stating:
"There's a lot of regular people works harder than you, get paid less, and you crying about what I say? Get outta my face. I don't wanna hear that.
"All these little rich kids making all this money complaining, shut your a** up before I shut you out. It's bully time now since I've been on these weights. I'm getting little swole, it's bully time now."
Shaquille O'Neal's comments on players needing to be tougher
Throughout his time off the court, Shaquille O'Neal has always made it a point to speak openly and honestly about basketball. While some have viewed O'Neal's "criticism" of other players as a bit aggressive, there's no denying that the NBA legend has had the right intentions.
Shaquille O'Neal was viewed as one of the greatest big men to ever play in the NBA. However, there was no denying that he had some of his own setbacks as well.
Some fans and athletes might think that Shaq can go a little overboard with his criticism. It's safe to say, though, that the legendary big man has had the right intentions to get the best out of some of the game's top players.
