Basketball great Shaquielle O’Neal recently called into CBS’ Sports Radio’s Tiki and Tierney podcast, where he gave his opinion on how to handle the whole Kyrie Irving vaccination situation. Shaq spoke bluntly on what he would do if he were Irving’s teammate, as well as how he feels the Brooklyn Nets organization should react, if he remains unvaccinated. And considering Brooklyn is as much a title contender as any team, Shaq’s tone seemed more urgent than relaxed.
“I would go upstairs and say ‘get [Kyrie] up out of here. Get him up out of here,” Shaq told Tiki and Tierney on the podcast. “We can win with a two-punch and a great shooter and some rebounders, like we’ve got. Get his a** up out of here.”
He continued, “Because now, everyday, I’m going to have to answer questions about him, and what he’s doing. Get his a** up out of here. That’s what I would do.”
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Strong words from someone who knows what it takes to win championships. Something that Brooklyn yearns for, after going out last year and acquiring 9x All Star and 2018 MVP James Harden from the Houston Rockets, to join Irving and fellow superstar Kevin Durant.
Shaq was then asked if he believed his scenario of getting Irving out of town would actually happen, and he responded, “I don’t know. But you asked me if I was on the team. Of course if I played with him, I’d be in charge. All the way, all day. So, whoever owns the Brooklyn Nets, get him up out of here.”
Irving has had issues with availability throughout his career, and with new COVID-19 regulations and protocols being implemented, Shaq didn’t leave much room for interpretation for Nets’ owner, Joe Tsai.
Listen to the full response below.