It all went down on a recent episode of TNT’s Inside the NBA, where Shaquille O’Neal dismissed Charles Barkley’s remarks concerning the ongoing conversation about pettiness surrounding Caitlin Clark, the star of Iowa women’s basketball. This debate has been fired up with the significant rise of Clark to the top of the game and her growing feud with the likes of LSU’s Angel Reese-a conflict that has seen much media attention.
He had commented on how the women’s game was becoming so petty, with all the back-and-forth that was occurring between players, especially in highly contested games. He sounded like he thought Clark and the other players were perpetuating some kind of story about drama not about talents and accomplishments on the court. Barkley has built a reputation on candid sports opinions that often spur a ripple in dialog about the antics and interpersonal relationships of players. But in contrast, Shaquille O’Neal didn’t back down to Barkley one bit.
The vociferous Shaq downplayed the whole thing, stating that rather than the attention going to the athletes’ skill and competitiveness, the off-court narrative was about petty things. He also added from his own insight that basketball is an emotional sport, and rivalries are bound to show, especially when pressured. According to Shaq, it is just part of sports-the pettiness is often deployed between both male and female players without much scrutiny. O’Neal told viewers that Clark deserves to be appreciated for her competitiveness and that people should discuss her contribution to women’s basketball rather than her personal dynamics with other players.
Caitlin Clark only recently emerged onto the scene and was touted for not only her stats but more so for her leadership on the court. Certain media pieces, however, focused more on her interactions with other players, such as Angel Reese, who infamously taunted Clark during the 2023 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship game. This rivalry has piqued the interest of many fans, but like O’Neal, many feel those sorts of moments don’t need to define or overshadow the talent across the court.
By finally looking past Barkley’s comments, Shaq proved to him and the rest of the world that touting athletic achievements comes before drama, so take notice, world of sports: the focus is to be upon what is important-the game itself.
