‘Not against these cupcakes’: Shaq explains why he doesn’t miss playing in the NBA
TheGrio...
The former MVP reignited debate over how his dominant style would translate to the modern league.
Shaquille O’Neal says there is one thing he does not miss about basketball: competing against today’s NBA players. The Hall of Famer, whose post-playing career has included a return to LSU for a master’s degree and another historic jersey retirement, dismissed the current generation during a new Boardroom interview. Shaq calls NBA players cupcakes while arguing that his size and physical style would translate well to today’s game.
O’Neal made the comments during a Boardroom cover story conversation with Rich Kleiman and Authentic Brands Group founder Jamie Salter. When Kleiman asked whether he ever misses playing basketball, O’Neal quickly answered that he did not.
“No, never. Not against these cupcakes,” O’Neal said.
When Kleiman suggested that was a fitting place to end the conversation, O’Neal doubled down, calling the players “all cupcakes” and encouraging people to share the remark across social media.
The comments echo something O’Neal said years earlier while imagining how his prime would look in the modern NBA. In a 2022 interview, the four-time champion said he wished he were playing in the current era because he believed he would be earning $600 million.
“These bums are making $600 million for two years,” O’Neal said at the time, using the figure as part of his argument about how much more lucrative the league had become. He also described modern players as “little cupcakes.”
O’Neal entered the NBA as the No. 1 overall pick by the Orlando Magic in 1992 and became one of the league’s most dominant centers. He won four NBA championships, three Finals MVP awards and the 2000 league MVP during a 19-year career.
The game has changed considerably since O’Neal’s prime, with teams relying more heavily on spacing, perimeter shooting and versatile lineups. O’Neal, however, has repeatedly maintained that smaller modern defenses would have difficulty handling his strength around the basket.
Despite the criticism, his latest answer suggests nostalgia is not pulling him back toward the court. Shaq calls NBA players cupcakes, and he appears convinced the modern game would have made him richer without making his job any harder.