Shaquille O’Neal made an immediate impact in the NBA upon his arrival in 1992. The former Orlando Magic center broke records and accumulated awards from his first games without asking anyone’s permission. Therefore, Robert Horry did not hesitate to call him a hypocrite for asking Caitlin Clark to wait her turn to shine.
The parallels between the beginning of Clark’s career in the WNBA and that of O’Neal in the NBA are undeniable. Both were the first college selection in their respective drafts, both were Player of the Week repeatedly in their first year and while Clark is first on the list for Rookie of the Year, O’Neal took the distinction without objection.
Despite the similarities, Shaq has always been reluctant to acknowledge Clark’s impact on the league. On the contrary, in a lengthy rant on USA Today Sports’ “Sports Seriously” show, O’Neal asked Clark to wait for her turn to shine behind the league’s more established stars.
“It’s not hating. Everybody has to wait their turn,” O’Neal said in response to an earlier comment by Charles Barkley about the veterans’ alleged jealousy of the rookie. Frustrated with the attitude of “Big Aristotle,” Robert Horry was quick to respond bluntly.
Horry’s harsh response
Robert Horrywas Shaq’s great rival in the 1990s and 2000s. Like Angel Reese was with Clark, Horry was selected 11th overall when Shaq was number one. So there’s no one better than the former Houston Rockets star to respond to O’Neal’s criticism.
“Let’s start off with Shaq. Motherf*cker you didn’t wait your turn!,” Horry claimed on a recent episode of his podcast, “Big Shot Bob.” The seven-time NBA champion said that just like O’Neal did 32 years ago, Clark is taking advantage of her opportunity.
“It’s called seize the moment, seize the day. Let Caitlin take it now and demand it now because there’s so many other players that have come in this league, in this league – not just our league, their league you know – and took over. Ain’t nothing wrong with a young buck taking over,” Horry said.
Horry reminded his former Lakers teammate that he didn’t hesitate to seize his chance. “Shaq took over for a couple year… so let her do her thing,” the former player said.
Shaq will always be Shaq
This isn’t the first time Shaq has landed himself in hot water for his criticism of Clark. While O’Nealhimself has expressed respect for the Fever guard’s skills at one point, he has more often than not ranked her below his protg, Angel Reese.
Shaq is unlikely to change his mind. However, Clark’s fans won’t be keeping quiet either, putting even the “Big Fella” in his place.
