NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal trolled Utah Jazz big man Rudy Gobert, Saturday, while discussing the defensive-minded center's massive five-year, $205 million contract extension. The deal makes him the third-highest paid player in the NBA.
"I’m not gonna hate, but this should be an inspiration to all the little kids out there," Shaq said on the All Things Covered podcast. "You average 11 points in the NBA, you can get 200 million."
“The silver lining is he is a great agent, and I’m happy for him and his family,” O’Neal added. “With the new rules, you have a pot of money, and you have to spend that money. I’m happy for him, but this is a moment for a lot of kids who think they can’t make it.”
Gobert, who has averaged 11.8 points and 11.0 rebounds per game over his career, has won two Defensive Player of the Year awards and has also been named NBA All-Defense four-times.
"It means that they believe in me," Gobert told ESPN after signing the extension. "They believe in what we've been building over the years with this whole organization, with coach [Quin Snyder] and all the guys. For me, it's an incredible blessing. It's a very motivating feeling to know that we all share the same vision and we all share this goal for this state and for this franchise."
[Via]