JaVale McGee says his frustration with Shaquille O’Neal and Shaqtin’ a Fool reached its breaking point when a routine missed layup was used on the popular blooper segment.
McGee had become a frequent target of the show, but he felt this particular appearance crossed a line because there was nothing especially embarrassing about the play.
“I watched the episode. I think I went coast to coast and I missed a layup. I was like, ‘Did they just put me on Shaqtin’ a Fool for missing a layup? Not airballing a layup, not nothing crazy. Just went coast to coast. I might have did a move and I missed the layup.’ I’m like, ‘All right bro. I’m not going for this shit no more.’”
McGee’s frustration extended beyond one clip. He questioned why O’Neal, given his enormous platform and reputation as an NBA legend, continued making him a recurring subject of jokes.
“First of all, you’re a perennial Hall of Famer. Your reach is global. Kids in villages in China know who Shaq is. I didn’t understand why I needed to be the butt of his jokes. What did I do to him.”
Eventually, McGee decided to respond publicly. He turned to Twitter, believing that confronting O’Neal on the same type of public platform would allow his response to receive comparable attention.
“I went on Twitter because I knew it would get the same reaction as he was getting on mine, and I said what I needed to say. I told him to get off my… I believe I put peanut emojis on it so I wouldn’t get fined. We had a nice back and forth, and that’s what that was.”
