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Shaquille O'Neal's Stern Message to NBA MVP on Thursday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Rex Villas | Last updated Jun 6, 2025 8:17 AM ET

NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal did not seem to like Oklahoma City Thunder superstar guard and 2025 NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's mindset following the stunning result of Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals.

While talking to reporters in the postgame press conference, Gilgeous-Alexander said that despite the heartbreaking 111-110 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Thursday, the Thunder will look at Game 2 "like any other game."

O'Neal later shared his thoughts on Gilgeous-Alexander's comment, and he made it clear that he's not one to subscribe to such sentiment.

“I don’t want to make it look like I’m different,” Shaq said. “I disagree. It’s just that we all have different mentalities. It’s not just another game."

"This is not another game, this is the NBA Finals... when you get a team down, you gotta put your foot on their throat." @SHAQ's perspective of OKC's situation after Game 1 of these #NBAFinals ️ pic.twitter.com/kM0AzFpXeH
— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 6, 2025

O'Neal knows what it takes to win an NBA championship. He has six rings to prove it. At the same time, the Basketball Hall of Famer knows what it feels like to lose on the grandest stage of the league, as he lost in the NBA Finals twice.

"This is not another game," O'Neal reiterated. "This is the NBA Finals. This is the championship run. You’ve got to be more efficient. You’ve got to have that killer. And when you get a team down, you’ve got to put a foot on their throat.”

The Thunder appear to be coasting to a win in the series opener, as they held a 15-point lead in the fourth quarter. They had Indiana on the ropes.

But the Pacers refused to call it a night, with Tyrese Haliburton sending shockwaves across the basketball realm with a go-ahead, 21-foot jumper with 0.3 seconds left in regulation to win the game for Indiana.

Gilgeous-Alexander scored a game-high 38 points, but it all went for naught, as the Thunder now look to regain their footing and level the series at 1-1 in Game 2 on Sunday.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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