Rudy Gobert has been in the crosshairs of Shaquille O’Neal for some time now. Shaq, never shy about his feelings, once called Gobert the “Worst Player of All Time (WOAT)” on Complex, making it clear how unimpressed he is with the 4x DPOY. Well, it seems like Shaq may have found a new reason to smile as a former NBA player chimed in on Gobert’s role in Minnesota, and the critique might just add more fuel to Shaq’s fiery opinions.

On the Above the Rim podcast, 3x NBA champ Danny Green didn’t hold back when asked about the Wolves’ surprising trade of Karl-Anthony Towns. Green expressed his confusion, saying, “I don’t know, man, you just made the Western Conference Finals and I’m like, ‘What the hell the reason?’ You got there is because of KAT, (and) now you lost some… interior defense and perimeter shooting with him.” He didn’t stop there.

Green went on to say that if Minnesota was going to trade anyone, it should have been Gobert. “People were saying Rudy’s the reason why you probably didn’t make the Finals,” Green added, doubling down on his critique of the move. However, Gobert recently signed a $110 million with the Timberwolves.

Interestingly, Shaquille O’Neal was very vocal about Gobert’s last hefty contract. Remember when Shaq questioned how Gobert failed to justify his massive $250 million deal? “I’m going to tell you why. Because if you sign a contract for ($)250 (million), show me 250“, Shaq said. “There’s a reason why I can’t turn my neck, why I walk funny—because I played for my ($) 120 million,” Shaq said, clearly frustrated that players like Gobert are “f***ing the system over” and not delivering.

Of course, the Wolves center didn’t let Shaquille O’Neal’s comments slide. He fired back, suggesting that Shaq is just jealous of his big paycheck and making jabs “to stay relevant.” In true Shaq fashion, he responded, “I got 15 commercials. What the f*** you talking about?” dismissing the claim and labeling Gobert as “sensitive” for even responding in the first place.

Interestingly, Gobert faced a similar backlash during the NBA bubble. After jokingly touching microphones days before testing positive for the virus, he was heavily criticized. But unlike KAT and his comparison this time, Danny Green had his back. Funny how the tables turn.

Unlike Shaquille O’Neal, Danny Green previously stood up for Gobert

Rudy Gobert’s COVID-19 diagnosis, just days after the footage surfaced, led to the sudden suspension of the 2020 season. Captured by CBS affiliate KUTV, the clip showed Gobert jokingly touching reporters’ equipment, unaware he was about to test positive. And because of that, the Utah Jazz’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder was abruptly canceled.

It wasn’t just the NBA that was affected by what happened—Gobert’s teammates also felt the consequences, as Donovan Mitchell tested positive the very next day. Gobert faced heavy backlash and eventually addressed it on Instagram. He publicly apologized, sharing his regret and embarrassment. “I was careless and make no excuse,” he admitted, expressing concern for those he may have endangered unknowingly.

Interestingly, Danny Green came to Gobert’s defense during a FaceTime chat on Take It There with Taylor Rooks. Green highlighted how people were unfairly placing all the blame on Gobert. “He was a little careless at times, but who’s to say that’s necessarily the reason why that’s happened,” Green said.

Green also emphasized that the situation was a wake-up call for everyone, not just Gobert. “It could happen to anybody,” he added, noting that the incident prompted the world—especially the basketball community—to take the virus seriously. For Green, the blame on Gobert felt exaggerated and misplaced.