Shaquille O’Neal responded to a fan who implied that he was hating on Los Angeles Lakers center DeAndre Ayton. O’Neal shared a clip of himself on Instagram, reacting to a missed layup attempt from Ayton.
The video shows LeBron James throwing a lob to Ayton and the center failing to convert at the rim, instead airballing the shot. O’Neal reacted to the play with frustration. The clip was shared with the caption:
“Huhhhhhhhhhh #shaqtinafool.”
A fan replied to the clip in the comments section and accused Shaq of “hating” on Ayton.
“Shaq really hates some of these bigs in today’s game,” the fan wrote.
O’Neal replied, slamming down the fan’s opinion that he was “hating.”
“When you’re great, you can’t hate on the person among great dummy. Make it make sense, fan boy,” Shaquille O’Neal wrote.
O’Neal has been critical of Ayton in the past, criticizing the center for his effort. After his debut for the Lakers in October, Shaq expressed his frustrations, asking the center to “step up.”
Deandre Ayton signed a two-year, $16 million deal with the Lakers this summer with a player option for the 2026-27 season. He has been the team’s starting center this campaign, averaging 12.4 points and 8.3 rebounds per game, shooting 67.5%.
Shaquille O’Neal slams Deandre Ayton for not playing “hard”
Ayton’s effort on the court has been questioned by many, including his old teams, the Phoenix Suns and the Portland Trail Blazers. O’Neal also joined the critics in March, expressing his belief that Ayton does not play “hard.”
“He don’t play hard all the time. He’s the key for them to get to that next level,” O’Neal said.
The Lakers were eliminated from the first round of the playoffs last season after the Minnesota Timberwolves exposed the team’s lack of a starting center. So, when Ayton was brought in, many believed that the Lakers had addressed that concern.
Los Angeles is third in the Western Conference with a 50-26 record. Ayton and Co. are on a roll, winning 16 of their last 18 games, hitting their stride ahead of the playoffs.
Read More: Fans erupt after Deandre Ayton barely outplays Rockets center amid beef
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