Shaquille O’Neal and Golden State Warriors center JaVale McGee shared a heated exchange on Friday night over Twitter. Shaq took some serious shots at McGee, and the Warriors reportedly contacted Turner Sports about the effect that O’Neal’s show “Shaqtin’ A Fool” is having on McGee’s reputation. O’Neal has decided to drop the feud after his mother advised him to do so, he tells Mike Wise of The Undefeated:
“I have orders from the top to leave it alone,” O’Neal said past midnight on Saturday.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver?
“No,” O’Neal said. “My mama. Just say Shaq’s mom called him, told him, ‘Stop this silliness. Leave him alone.’ So that’s the end of the beef. You won’t be hearing about it from my side anymore. Mama has spoken.”
Said Lucille O’Neal earlier Saturday evening from her Orlando, Florida, home, “It’s not funny anymore, seeing the things they’re saying to each other. They need to squash this and move on.”
McGee’s mom has spoken on the incident as well:
McGee’s mama called later to essentially say: Not so fast.
“He cyberbullied my son,” Pamela McGee said in an emotional, 30-minute conversation. “Totally inappropriate. Shaquille needs to lose his job or be suspended. The NBA needs to make a stand.”
McGee is in part responsible for his reputation as a low-IQ player who makes funny mistakes on the basketball court; he’s the one who committed all those boneheaded Shaqtin’-worthy plays, after all. However, there’s no denying that Shaq’s coverage of McGee’s mistakes has amplified the problem.
