Rudy Gobert defends himself against Shaquille O'Neal's brutal attack: "He needs those things to be relevant"

In recent days, there has been enormous tension between Shaquille O'Neal and Rudy Gobert due to the former's attacks on the Minnesota Timberwolves center, who has recently defended himself against unwarranted criticism from the NBA legend.

Among other criticisms, Shaq said of Gobert, "He's the worst. There are guys like him who mess up the system. They make all that money and don't know how to play basketball. I don't respect that kind of people. People think I hate, but these are facts. There are teachers, firefighters, doctors... who have real jobs and don’t make s***."

These rather demagogic comments by Shaquille O'Neal have been quite sudden, stirring up controversy at an inopportune time, for sure. Rudy Gobert is coming off winning his fourth NBA Defensive Player of the Year award, being a cornerstone for the Timberwolves in the team's best year in a long time.

Rudy Gobert's Defense

Showing that his strong defense isn’t limited to the court, Rudy Gobert has responded to Shaquille O'Neal's remarks with the following statements: "It's sad to see someone who has achieved as much as you have, in both sports and business, still be provoked by another man's finances and accomplishments," said the Timberwolves star. "I understand the entertainment aspect, but unlike others, you don't need those things to remain relevant."

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Rudy Gobert se defiende del brutal ataque de Shaquille O"Neal: "Necesita esas cosas para ser relevante"