Shaquille O’Neal is known to be quite critical of some of the younger stars in today’s NBA. While O’Neal showers many players with love as well, his criticism can often get too harsh. However, no one can complain about it as it’s coming from a Hall of Famer who knows the game better than most. O’Neal called out a $163 million star a few weeks ago, which led to some controversy. Recently, the Los Angeles Lakers legend opened up about his criticism and revealed the honest intentions behind his comments.

Cleveland Cavaliers star, Donovan Mitchell has been on a tear this season. With a spot in the Playoffs almost confirmed, he’ll be looking to prove his naysayers wrong. One of those doubters is O’Neal, who stated that he didn’t think Mitchell was good enough to carry a team to a championship. Many people criticized O’Neal for hating on Mitchell, but the Hall of Famer cleared the air recently.

Shaquille O?Neal justifies his criticism of Donovan Mitchell

During a recent appearance on the ?I Am Athlete? podcast, Shaq said, ?If I say ‘Donovan ain’t ready to lead no team’, that’s not hard. I think I could have said ‘Donovan ain’t ready to lead no team.’ But I know what I’m doing right. I know exactly what I’m doing.”?O’Neal proceeded to heap praise on the four-time All-Star.

He continued, “Donovan you got that dog in you, bro.? I know we do. I see it so now and the great thing is if we was playing I’d do the same thing but I want him to go, ‘You know Kobe hey let me get 83 so they talking about me’. That’s all I used to do. Y’all gon know my name. You don’t know me I like Mike, Charles, nah Shaq.?

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Shaq also talked about how he also did the same thing with Kobe Bryant and Dwayne Wade. It’s also worth noting that Shaq is not the only NBA legend to use criticism as a motivational tool. Michael Jordan was known for his tough-love approach to coaching and mentoring younger players, and Kobe Bryant was also known to be quite critical of his teammates.

Can Donovan Mitchell lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a championship?

It’s clear that Shaq’s comments have not affected Mitchell negatively, as the Cavaliers guard has been playing some of his best basketball this season. In fact, Mitchell scored 44 points in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 120-118 loss to the Atlanta Hawks, which has only solidified his position as one of the NBA’s best guards.

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As the NBA playoffs approach, it will be interesting to see how Mitchell responds to the pressure and criticism. And regardless of whether they respond positively or negatively, it’s clear that the NBA will continue to be a league where legends like Shaq and Jordan push the next generation of stars to be great.