Shaquille O’Neal Calls for Potentially Biggest All-Star Battle in History Despite Underlying Disappointment

For a while Shaquille O’Neal has been missing the excitement in the All-Star Weekend. The 3x All-Star MVP made the most of his 15 All Star appearances across a 19 season career. He still remains involved in the weekend’s festivities as an analyst and a prop for the rookies. Yet he’s less than impressed by the veterans not bringing the grandeur to it. It’s getting to the point that Shaq would rather watch a different kind of spectacle.

While talking shop with former point guard, John Wall on Point Game, Shaq said, “You know some guys take All-Star Game seriously, some don’t.” O’Neal blames the changing formats on it too.  “I don’t like when they take things and change it like when they change the All-Star game…” He’s more the type to say, “bro, let’s just play.”

Most notably, the NBA discontinued the Elam Ending, the clockless last quarter that sets a target point total for teams to reach in order to win the game, in 2020. It led to the game ending in a winning basket or free throw instead of the clock running out. The East won the 2024 game with a record 200 points, the highest in All-Star history. But it couldn’t take away from fans missing the Elam Ending.

O’Neal rarely comments on the change in the rules even if he doesn’t like it. He’s been a major participant at All-Star Weekends, partly because of his TNT duties. This year, he deejayed a concert in Indianapolis and served as a prop for the Slam Dunk spectacle. He never competed in the Slam Dunk Contest as an All-Star himself. That was another burning issue that irked him. But he vouches for an alternative to make All-Star Weekends grander than ever before.

Shaq wants to ante up the All-Star Weekend

When Dr J was on The Big Podcast, both were critical of NBA veterans giving the Slam Dunk Contest a skip and also slacking in All-Star energy. Watching the Julius Irving in All-Star games inspired Shaq’s track to the NBA. So it’s serious business to him. And as he pointed out, the Slam Dunk Contest has lacked veterans in recent years. O’Neal’s been giving a boost to the G-League players and rookies in the contest.

He would however enjoy an All-Star level team take on international talent. “I would like to see Team USA versus Team World.” That could look something like reigning MVP Nikola Jokic with unanimous ROTY, Victor Wembanyama on one team with DPOY Rudy Gobert taking on a combination like Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry in the same team again combined with perhaps rising stars like Anthony Edwards. This wouldn’t just guarantee Big Diesel in the stands during the All-Star Weekend but also set the stage for a showdown that would draw eyeballs even outside the USA.

Is Shaq on to something? Or is his view of a lackluster All-Star event an illusion?