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Shaq takes hilarious dig at Rudy Gobert after France's win
France's Rudy Gobert looks to pull down a rebound against Brazil at the Paris Games John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Shaq takes hilarious dig at Rudy Gobert after France's win over Brazil

Shaquille O'Neal rarely misses an opportunity to get in a dig at Rudy Gobert. Following France's 78-66 win over Brazil at the 2024 Paris Olympics, O'Neal suggested that Gobert — who finished the game with seven points and three rebounds — would have been working as a Walmart clerk if he weren't 7-foot-1.

O'Neal's post was seemingly a response to Gobert being posterized by Brazil's Maozinha Pereira, a 23-year-old forward who briefly played for the Grizzlies on a 10-day contract last season.

Gobert was in foul trouble for most of the game and played only 18 minutes. France was largely carried by the tandem of Victor Wembanyama and Nicolas Batum, who had 19 points apiece. Wemby also had nine rebounds, four steals and three blocks in his Olympic debut. 

Shaq's latest dig at Gobert should not come a surprise. Gobert, a four-time Defensive Player of the Year, has been constantly maligned by current and former NBA players over the past few years. One of the criticisms leveled at him has been his inability to stay on the floor in key postseason moments. Even during this year's playoffs, Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch chose to end several games with Naz Reid and Karl-Anthony Towns on the court and Gobert on the bench.

Outside of Shaq, the likes of Draymond Green and Charles Barkley have routinely questioned the legitimacy of Gobert's impact as a defensive player.

Sai Mohan

A veteran sportswriter based in Portugal, Sai covers the NBA for Yardbarker and a few local news outlets. He had the honor of covering sporting events across four different continents as a newspaper reporter. Some of his all-time favorite athletes include Mike Tyson, Larry Bird, Luís Figo, Ayrton Senna and Steffi Graf.

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