feature-image

Imago

feature-image

Imago

The constant struggle between players from yesteryears and current NBA players has been prevalent for years. However, the most recent victim of backlash from the game’s greats was James Harden. While his tenure with the Philadelphia 76ers has been a mixed bag, a former legend from his old hunting grounds made some fiery comments about the Beard.?

Watch What’s Trending Now!

Joining in on the harshness was none other than four-time NBA champion Shaquille O’Neal.

ADVERTISEMENT

Shaquille O’Neal agrees with James Harden’s critique

Over the last few years, Harden has seen a steady decline in his value around the league. While he was at the top of the league in 2020, his star power has seen a downward trajectory ever since. The spiral began after his ugly trade out of Houston Rockets to Brooklyn.

article-image

Getty

However, after mediocre performances for a year, James forced his way out of yet another team. This time, he was looking to reunite with former Rockets GM, Daryl Morey. But, it seems like that reunion was short-lived.

ADVERTISEMENT

After a year and a half, the former MVP has demanded out again. However, critics are starting to circle. Chief among them was former Rocket legend himself, Tracy McGrady. One of the greatest scorers ever, McGrady is a true legend of the sport.

However, while criticizing Harden, the 2-time Scoring Champ cut no corners. “James has probably played with more HOF-ers than anybody in the league, and he doesn’t have a ring to show for it. I don’t know what he’s looking for.”?

But, it seems like T-Mac isn’t the only NBA legend criticizing the Beard’s?move.

Shaquille O’Neal in support of T-Mac

Recently, Shaquille O’Neal aired his support for McGrady’s comments, sharing it on his IG story. After a tense exchange between the two last year, it seems like all is well between the two legends.

Read More: ?Get Over It?: Resorting to Gaslighting, NBA Legend Tears Into James Harden While Blaming ?Internal Bullsh*t? in Baffling Trade Saga

On the Big Podcast with Shaq, the two got to discussing MVP awards once. McGrady felt like his case was overlooked in 2003, alluding to his impressive scoring numbers that helped drag Orlando Bubble to the playoffs. But, once Shaq realized it was Tim Duncan who won the award, he was not for it. According to O’Neal, Duncan deserved the award, no question.

Duncan’s case was supreme. However, did Shaq’s own defeat in the conference finals that season be a case of the big man trying to save his own skin? While we may never know the answer to that, it seems like the two Orlando superstars have mended fences.

Watch This Story | Shaquille O’Neal, Who Once Triggered Kevin Durant only To Call Him A “Dog”, Publicly Swallows Bitter Truth With Pride

Share this with a friend:

Link Copied!

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Written by

author-image

Priyanshu

827 Articles

Priyanshu is an NBA beat Writer at EssentiallySports, with a healthy command over the technical aspects of the sport. Priyanshu has creatively covered the often entertaining interactions between legends Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley along with in-depth analysis of the games. He was at the forefront of the 2023 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame ceremony, covering each and every aspect of the historic night in Springfield, Massachusetts. Furthermore, his article on Shaq and the UFC garnered close to a million pageviews. Moving away from the world of sports, Priyanshu is also an avid gamer, who can display other-worldly skills on NBA 2K.

Know more

Edited by

editor-image

Sharan Nair

ADVERTISEMENT