Do you remember when Shaquille O’Neal mentioned he had a secret ‘Hate Test’ for Stephen Curry and Luka Doncic? Honestly, no one really knew about it, but it turns out he had already started judging them quietly in his mind. Then, out of nowhere, Shaq surprised everyone by saying both stars passed his test.
On his latest episode of The Big Podcast with Shaq, O’Neal shared an interesting confession. He admitted that at first, he doubted Steph Curry’s style of play, especially his focus on shooting from the perimeter.
Shaquille O’Neal wasn’t sure it could hold up against the tough NBA defenses. But after watching Curry, along with Luka Doncic, work harder each year and improve their game, Shaq now has nothing but respect for their skills.
The Big Aristotle explained, “If you could pass my hate test and then still go… Like Steph Curry, I was like, ‘That sh*t lucky.’ He keep doing it, ‘That sh*t lucky.’ Find the point. Alright, this motherf***er can play.”
“I used to hate Luka until I seen him play. I’m like ‘this mother******g white boy, alright’.”
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 4, 2025
Shaquille O’Neal says that Luka Doncic and Steph Curry passed his ‘hate test’ 😅
(via @bigpodwithshaq)
pic.twitter.com/5cSRRwhE8p
He added, “I used to hate Luka until I seen him play. I’m like, ‘This motherf***ing white boy alright. “Remember, I done played with some of the greatest, so it ain’t a lot of new sh*t that you can do.”
This shows just how much Shaq respects their ability to prove him wrong through hard work and consistency.
Shaquille O’Neal sets the record straight on NBA salaries
In Shaquille O’Neal’s day, contracts were big, but today’s deals are on a whole new level. Back in 1996, O’Neal signed a seven-year, $120 million deal with the Lakers—huge for its time.
Now, players like Rudy Gobert are getting over $200 million. O’Neal has pointed this out, saying, “Rudy Gobert is making $200 million. So, all you big guys out there, look at him. Follow him.”
23 years ago, Shaquille O’Neal signed seven-year, $120 million deal with Lakers.
— Lakers Nation (@LakersNation) July 18, 2019
Written by: @BluMambaSports.https://t.co/3P72GLy617 pic.twitter.com/1MkNTo1Tce
This rise in pay has made players richer, but O’Neal feels it’s also made them less open to criticism. He believes many players take feedback personally instead of using it to improve. “They just get sensitive,” O’Neal has said.
O’Neal also shared his thoughts on today’s big paychecks, saying, “Guys are making way more than we did, so in their minds, they think they’re better than we were. But that’s not the case because there’s a lot of bums out there making a lot of money.”
