“You tryna stay relevant by gossiping” - Shaquille O'Neal disses Shannon Sharpe over “jealousy” take citing Nikola Jokic MVP win

Shaquille O'Neal didn't mince words about his dissatisfaction with NFL legend-turned-sports analyst Shannon Sharpe over his "GOAT" status, work ethic, and the Nikola Jokic MVP shade. While congratulating Jokic on his third MVP win in four years, O'Neal straightforwardly told the Nuggets star that Shai Gilegeous-Alexander deserved the award.

O'Neal caught plenty of flak from everyone, including Sharpe, who on his "Night Cap" podcast said that the former Lakers center was "envious," as he had only one MVP award while Jokic got three in a short span.

Sharpe also questioned O'Neal's GOAT status because of his lack of MVPs. O'Neal wasn't letting those comments pass, and he took to Instagram to call out his fellow TV analyst:

"You took me sticking up @shai ask jealousy of joker. shows how smart you are and how you say anything to get clicks. so here’s some click bait for you. if you ain’t ranked in the top ten in your profession, then you can’t speak on Me.

"Don’t forget i know what you did to get were you at. me jealous, sounds like you jealous. i kno you tryna stay relevant by gossiping on your podcast. we don’t believe you."

O'Neal also went at Sharpe's NFL and broadcasting career by stacking his resume against the former Super Bowl winner's. O'Neal also clarified that he isn't bothered about the GOAT status, as he sees himself in the most dominant conversation.

The "Inside The NBA" co-host took the diss up a notch when he mentioned Shannon Sharpe's former debate partner Skip Bayless, quoting his "I am better than you" statement. Topping it off, Shaquille O'Neal posted a snapshot of Sharpe's No. 51 ranking among "NFL's 100 Greatest" list.

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Shannon Sharpe responds to Shaquille O'Neal's diss

Shannon Sharpe didn't take too long to respond to Shaquille O'Neal's explosive Instagram post. Sharpe was recording the latest episode of his "Night Cap" podcast as O'Neal's message went viral. Sharpe addressed O'Neal shading his career and the callouts over the latter's work ethic.

"I worked what I got because I worked my a** off," Sharpe said. "Now Shaq has been the one to say it that he didn't work as hard, that he didn't train as hard, he didn't eat as well as he should have."

Shannon Sharpe conceded Shaquille O'Neal's criticism that their careers in their respective fields weren't equal. However, Sharpe said that he "maximized" his limited potential, unlike O'Neal, who let go of the rope and didn't give it his all to basketball despite his talents.

While O'Neal seems to have taken grave offense, his counterpart isn't viewing it to be a significant issue. Sharpe seemingly agreed with most of what O'Neal had to say apart from the latter questioning his work ethic and motivation to be one of the best players.