Shaquille O'Neal recalls a heated exchange with Stephen A. Smith: 'I'm not a yes man, so you haven't shown up yet'

When the 7'1" center encountered Smith for the first time, the outspoken journalist didn't hold back.

"The first time we met, I had a problem with what you said," O'Neal said. "You said, 'Shaq, you are a great player, but you haven't stepped up yet… I cornered you, and we got into a little argument, and you said, 'Shaq, I love you; you are the most dominant big guy in the world, but you keep getting swept; you keep getting swept; you haven't stepped up yet."

Fighting through criticism

By the late 90s, the big man had moved to the Lakers but continued to face postseason frustrations. In the 1998 playoffs, the team suffered a crushing sweep at the hands of the Utah Jazz in the Western Conference Finals. For a player of Shaq's stature, losing on the biggest stages became a source of motivation.

Those criticisms pushed the seven-footer further, pointing out the recurring playoff sweeps that marred his resume. The analyst's bluntness wasn't intended to humiliate but rather to challenge—something the 15-time All-Star appreciates many years later.

"I uplift my brothers by telling them the truth. I'm not a yes man, so you haven't shown up yet. You gotta win the championship. All that making it to the finals, you are supposed to make it to the finals, but you are supposed to win," O'Neal continued.

The narrative shifted when No. 34 finally broke through with the Lakers in the 1999-2000 season. Partnering with Kobe Bryant, the former MVP led the Lakers to their first title since 1988, cementing his place as one of the game's greatest.

Over the next two seasons, he and Kobe would lead the team to an iconic three-peat, silencing critics. Looking back, the encounter with Smith is a testament to the value of tough love that propelled him to step up and win.