(Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images for Fanatics) Shaquille O'Neal doesn't miss playing in the NBA, and his opinion of today's competition is one of the reasons why. During a conversation with Rich Kleiman for Boardroom, Shaq was asked whether he ever finds himself wishing he could get back on the court. The four-time NBA champion didn't hesitate. "No. Never. Never," O'Neal said. "Not against these cupcakes." When Kleiman suggested that was a fitting way to end their conversation, Shaq made sure his assessment of the modern NBA couldn't be misunderstood. COMPLEX SHOP: Shop the brands you love, anytime and anywhere. Uncover what's next. Buy. Collect. Obsess. "They're all cupcakes," Shaq asserted. "Write it down. Tweet it, Instagram it, and Facebook. And I said it."
The exchange capped a wide-ranging Boardroom cover story conversation featuring O'Neal, Kleiman, and Authentic Brands Group founder and executive chairman Jamie Salter. While Shaq doesn't necessarily miss playing, he admitted in a 2022 interview that there is one thing about today's NBA that makes him wish his prime had arrived a few decades later. "I'd be making $600 million," O'Neal said. "These bums are making $600 million for two years. I wish I was playing now." Shaq said his combination of size, strength, and physicality would make him an even bigger problem against the current generation—which he called “cupcakes” then, too. "Playing against these little cupcakes. I wish I was playing now, I swear," he said at the time. O'Neal entered the NBA in 1992 and spent much of his career battling an era loaded with stars, including Hakeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing, David Robinson, and Karl Malone. The game has changed dramatically since then, with spacing, perimeter shooting, and versatility becoming increasingly important. Shaq said those changes would work in his favor. O'Neal has said in the past that his approach would be to remain centered around attacking the paint and forcing smaller defenses to deal with him inside.
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