Shaquille O'Neal blames modern players for their inability to take criticism: 'They're pudding pops'

Shaquille O'Neal has been the subject of intense scrutiny lately, as many feel the Hall of Famer has gone too far in relentlessly criticizing current NBA players for failing to live up to his expectations. But in an interview on "The Dan Patrick Show," O'Neal said that players today are too soft and that he was just putting guys through the same thing he went through when he was playing in the NBA.

"I'm just doing what was done to me," O'Neal said. "I can remember when I was averaging 30, 35 in L.A., but we were always getting swept. And the great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said, 'Hey you guys haven't won a championship yet.'"

The four-time champion said that rather than "whine" or "cry" or "complain on social media," he forced himself to get better and took that criticism seriously because it was coming from the "greatest player ever." 

"So when he said that, when he gave me constructive criticism, I took it, and I listened, and I brought my game to another level," O'Neal explained. "So these guys now, they're pudding pops."

While it's interesting to hear O'Neal's perspective on why he feels justified in calling out guys like Donovan Mitchell and other young players, it's pretty silly to do something just because it was done to you, rather than reflect on whether that thing was actually helpful or productive.