Shaquille O’Neal has admitted that he was initially not a fan of WNBA newcomer Caitlin Clark.

Known for his remarkable career with teams like the LA Lakers, Miami Heat, and the Boston Celtics, O’Neal has an impressive legacy – including four NBA championships, three MVPs in NBA finals, and 15 All-Star accolades. His number 34 jersey was retired by the Lakers, while the Heat and Orlando Magic honoured his iconic number 32.

Despite Clark’s promising start in the WNBA, breaking several records in her debut season, O’Neal confessed on the Unapologetically Angel podcast that he wasn’t initially supportive of her. He told host and Clark’s long-time rival Angel Reese: “I was a hater, because you know I’m down with you.

“I was like she’s not going to hit that shot, and like bam. But, if I say ten times that you’re going to hit the shot and you hit the shot, that means you’re the truth.” O’Neal also compared Clark to NBA great Steph Curry for her ability to shoot threes from anywhere on the court.

He gushed about Curry: “You know why I love Steph Curry? Because I’ve never seen that before. I’ve never seen that before. I’ve seen it a little bit in Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, but I’ve never seen a guy consistently,” reports the Irish Star.

“And if you saw Steph on the street, he ain’t got the LeBron muscles, he’s not 6’9, he’s not 6’10. He looks like a perfectly normal office guy. He’s doing stuff that people have never seen before. She’s doing stuff we’ve never seen before. Never seen anybody do it on a consistent basis. There’s a lot of girls in WNBA that have done it in spurts, but [none like this]..”

Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark ( 
Image:
Getty Images)
Clark had an incredible debut year with Indiana Fever after being picked first in the WNBA draft. She broke records left and right, helping the Fever to their first playoffs in eight years. She set the record for most assists in a season and became the fastest woman to hit 100 three-pointers, ending with a whopping 122.

She also dished out a record-breaking 337 assists in one season, earning her 66 out of 67 votes for Rookie of the Year. Reese snagged the remaining vote.