Former Lakers center Shaquille O’Neal has denied laughing at Anthony Davis when he got a knock to the head in Game 5 against the Warriors.
In the postgame show on TNT, Shaq and Charles Barkley were laughing histerically when they learned Davis had to be escorted from the court in a wheelchair after being elbowed in the head by Kevon Looney.
Barkley even remarked that AD was “made of paper”.
Shaq and Charles Barkley can’t stop laughing at Anthony Davis for leaving game in a wheel chair with a head injury pic.twitter.com/yQhWmcbxCE
— Gifdsports (@gifdsports) May 11, 2023
O’Neal has since claimed that he wasn’t laughing at Davis and also seemed to throw some shade on the big man while he was at it, by implying he should suck it up.
“I ain’t making fun of nobody, that’s not what I do,” O’Neal told The Athletic. “But I do know you’re not going to stop me from playing in that Game 6.
“You see why I walk funny? Because I sucked it up. You see why my toes don’t bend? Because I sucked it up.”
One of AD’s opponents, Draymond Green took to his podcast and hit out at NBA analysts, like Shaq who made fun of what could have been a very serious injury.
“I saw a lot of people laughing,” Green. “But it’s a hit to the head. One small hit to the head can change everything in your life. So I don’t really understand the joke.”
51-year-old Shaq is undoubtedly one of the most dominant players in league history and is a four-time NBA champion who enjoyed a storied 19-year career with six teams. So he definitely knows a thing or two about playing through injury.
Luckily for Lakers fans, Davis has avoided concussion protocol and is expected to take the court in Game 6, Lakers coach Darvin Ham confirmed on Thursday.