The Phoenix Suns are in trouble, and Shaquille O’Neal knows exactly what that looks like. After weeks of underwhelming performances, it seems Kevin Durant has finally hit his breaking point. A tense exchange between the Suns star and his head coach during a recent game made it clear that frustration is boiling over—and fans didn’t miss a second of it.
For Shaq, the situation feels familiar. But while he sees the parallels, he also recognizes a major concern.
On the latest episode of Inside the NBA, Shaquille O’Neal was asked about Kevin Durant’s recent actions that have been making waves. During a timeout in the Suns’ matchup against the Clippers, Durant was caught on camera pulling his hand away from head coach Mike Budenholzer in the middle of a heated exchange.
Though the confrontation didn’t last long, it was enough to grab fans’ attention. In the end, the Suns managed to escape with a narrow 119-117 win over the Clippers, but the moment between Durant and Budenholzer left plenty of questions hanging.
Speaking about the odd gesture, O’Neal was reminded of his own playing days in the league and just how rebellious he himself had been. “I don’t want to be a hypocrite. Because I was that guy. I was tough to coach. But when you’re the leader of the team, I realized that it sets a bad example. Right now, the team is not doing well. And with you being the best player, they are going to look at you.”
He added, “Everybody’s disappointed in what they’re doing right now. I don’t think Kevin should have did that. But again, I don’t want to be a hypocrite. I’ve done that plenty. But as a leader, it’s something that you’re not supposed to do.”
This is a developing story.
The post “I Was That Guy”: Kevin Durant’s Outburst Brings Up Shaquille O’Neal’s Past Regrets appeared first on EssentiallySports.
