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“You Passed a Bum”: Following Playoffs Triumph, Shaquille O’Neal Commends Suns’ Devin Booker for Surpassing Hall of Famer

Published 04/26/2023, 5:50 AM EDT

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The Phoenix Suns-Los Angeles Clippers playoffs series concluded after the Tuesday night game with the Suns emerging victorious. However, the Suns’ triumph was not the only significant event that took place at the Footprint Center. Booker reached a major milestone that put him ahead of a Phoenix Suns legend, and NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal couldn’t be happier about it.

The LA Clippers played their last three playoff games without their star player Kawhi Leonard. The two-time NBA champion was sidelined since Game 3 due to a knee sprain after putting up great performances in Game 1 and Game 2. After defeating the Clippers 4-1, Devin Booker and co. will be facing the Denver Nuggets in the Conference Semi-Finals.

Shaquille O’Neal rejoices in Devin Booker’s accomplishment

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Phoenix Suns star guard Devin Booker dropped a game-high 47 points and lead his team to a 136-130 victory over the LA Clippers. By doing so, Booker surpassed Suns legend Charles Barkley for the most 40-point playoff games in the franchise’s history. The major milestone was acknowledged by the Inside the NBA co-hosts during a brief post-game chat with D-Book.

After analyst, Ernie Johnson announced the accomplishment, a stunned Barkley immediately responded, “What?!” Whereas Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith applauded Booker. Following that, Shaq said, “You passed a bum, Devin. Thank you Devin.” He added, “I don’t wanna hear his name no more in Phoenix.” After his comical response to the revelation, the Chuckster congratulated the three-time All-Star before concluding the virtual conversation.

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READ MORE – Charles Barkley Forces Shaquille O’Neal to Make a Huge Admission, Giving Stephen Curry His Deserved Flowers in an ‘Ultimate Sign of Respect’

The occasional banter between Shaq and Chuck is one of the reasons why they are fan favorites. Therefore, The Big Aristotle‘s playful jab at his fellow co-host is nothing that the viewers haven’t seen before.

Suns eliminate the Clippers

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There is no doubt that Devin Booker was outstanding on the court. He had 47 points, 8 rebounds, and 10 assists. His teammate Kevin Durant added 31 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists. Whereas, Deandre Ayton added 21 points and Chris Paul scored 15 points.

WATCH THIS STORY:  Shaquille O’Neal’s bizarre pre-game ritual from his magic days

On the other hand, Clippers guard Norman Powell added 27 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists. Russell Westbrook dropped 14 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists. The Clippers will be disappointed after another early exit from the Playoffs.

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What are your thoughts on Shaq’s comments keeping in mind this wasn’t the first time that the four-time NBA champion slammed a fellow NBA legend, albeit playfully?

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Written by:

Siyari Debbarma

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Siyari Debbarma is a senior NBA writer at EssentiallySports. With over 700 articles under her belt, Siyari is an expert in providing in-depth analysis and coverage of the game. Her throwback article on Dennis Rodman's plea for help garnered more than 3.
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Edited by:

Pragya Vashisth