Shaquille O'Neal is a wordsmith. He has coined many nicknames for himself and for others over the years. But he might need to get his head checked out after his latest comment about Ronda Rousey, which followed him falling during his recent report on a playoff game. Not only has Shaq been talking trash recently, but former trash talk has now surfaced about the feud he developed with Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles. Even with all the fun O'Neal likes to have, he may need to start watching his words a little more carefully.
Somehow, Shaq believes that he would be able to take on UFC fighter Rousey, presumably in the octagon. SB Nation Bloody Elbow tells of O'Neal during his Inside the NBA program, where he let out the statement that he could hang with the queen of submissions, never indicating that he could outlast one of her legendary armbar moves though:
"I can last 45 seconds with Ronda Rousey. Set it up!"
O'Neal has always been tough, but he may have lost a step or two since retirement. The Rousey thing is definitely just trash talk. This isn't the first and won't be the last time Shaq's trash talk has gotten him into trouble. One of the main instances of this is from his departure from Los Angeles. The New York Post quotes Bryant letting his true feelings out on Shaq and the tension he caused between the Lakers:
"I wasn't going to play with Shaq anymore after that. That just wasn't going to happen. Things he has said, criticism from the media in saying I can't win without him. Look, I put that individual s-t aside to win championships and now I'm getting criticized for it. Now I'm going to show you f-cks what I can do on my own."
Is Shaq to blame for his last season in Los Angeles? How long do you think O'Neal could last in the ring against Rousey? Tell us your thoughts below.
