Shaquille O’Neal doesn’t consider Joel Embiid to be a dominant low-post player: ‘I wouldn’t use the D-word’

NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal recently spoke about Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid, and it sounds like O’Neal isn’t too high on Embiid’s post play.

“I wouldn’t use the D-word,” O’Neal said after Sports Illustrated‘s Chris Mannix described Embiid as a dominant player in the low post. “He’s pretty good, really good, pretty good, but I would not use the D-word.”

O’Neal certainly knows a thing or two about being a dominant player in the post. He had an iconic NBA career, and he feasted in the paint most nights.

The Hall of Famer finished his career with averages of 23.7 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. He earned 15 All-Star selections, an MVP award and four NBA titles.

As for Embiid, there’s no doubt that he’s one of the most talented big men in the NBA today. His playing style is very different from O’Neal’s, which might be part of the reason why the Los Angeles Lakers legend doesn’t want to describe him as dominant.

In the 2020-21 season, Embiid averaged 28.5 points, 10.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. He shot 51.3 percent from the field and 37.7 percent from deep.

He’s looking to lead the Sixers to a deep playoff run in the upcoming campaign.