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Shaquille O'Neal Sends Head-Scratching Criticism to Cavaliers in Brutal Rant
Oct 2, 2023; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman talks to the media during media day at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Shaquille O'Neal Sends Head-Scratching Criticism to Cavaliers in Brutal Rant

Originally posted on Cleveland Cavaliers on SI
By Gavin Dorsey  |  Last updated Jun 9, 2025 2:00 PM ET

The Cleveland Cavaliers' 64-win season came to a disappointing end in the playoffs, prompting criticism from fans, former players and media members around the league.

Injuries and poor three-point shooting caused the Cavs to fizzle out during the second-round defeat to the Indiana Pacers, but Hall of Fame center Shaquille O'Neal had a different critique for Cleveland general manager Koby Altman. Speaking on his "The Big Podcast with Shaq" on June 5, O'Neal called Altman out about a puzzling move he didn't make ahead of the postseason.

"To the Cleveland Cavaliers' GM, what the f--- are you doing? Why is Emoni Bates in the f---ing G League?" O'Neal said. "This motherf---er can play. The last game you put him in, he had what, seven threes? Don't you think you need that for a f---ing championship? Whoever you are, general manager for Cleveland, what the f--- are you doing? That motherf---er can play, man, he can score. If I'm a coach, I want all the scorers I can."

Cleveland drafted Bates in the second round of the 2023 NBA Draft, and the former top high school recruit has played in 25 NBA games since. In approximately 8.3 minutes per game, Bates has averaged 3.1 points per game on 32.2% shooting and 33.3% from deep. He played 42 minutes in the Cavs' regular season finale, when he totaled 25 points and six rebounds on 9-of-19 from the field, but failed to score more than three points in any other NBA game this season.

Bates has spent most of his career with the G League's Cleveland Charge. This past season, the 6-foot-8 forward scored 18.5 points per game on 37.8% shooting and 33.0% from three.

O'Neal was a 15-time All-Star and four-time NBA Champion in his own right and has broadcast for TNT since 2011, but he has come under fire recently for his knowledge about the sport he covers. In March, O'Neal said the Detroit Pistons were "boring" and claimed they were four games under .500, when the team was six games above .500 and tied for the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. He later mistakenly complimented Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups for his job coaching Detroit, then admitted he didn't watch the Pistons anyway.

The former Magic and Lakers star played one season for the Cavaliers in 2009-10. Altman, whose name O'Neal didn't know, joined Cleveland in 2012 and has served as the general manager since 2017.

The Hall of Fame center has had an accolade-filled career as an athlete and broadcaster, but his take on Bates is puzzling. While the Cavaliers struggled to shoot the ball against Indiana, a player who shot under 40% in the G League was likely not the reason they couldn't beat the Pacers.

However, as Cleveland prepares to enter second-apron restrictions, the team needs as many contributions from minimum contract players as it can get. Bates, who has spent the last two seasons on a two-way deal, could be a cheap answer if he gets the opportunity.

Read More Cleveland Cavaliers Coverage


This article first appeared on Cleveland Cavaliers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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