Utah Jazz

Joe Ingles destroys Shaquille O’Neal for spewing ‘absolute nonsense’ about Donovan Mitchell

Published by
Brad Sullivan

Shaquille O’Neal’s surprising on-air criticism of Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell on Thursday night brought an angry response from Mitchell’s teammate Joe Ingles.

O’Neal was interviewing Mitchell on TNT and indicated that Mitchell lacks the ability to take his team to the next level. The former Los Angeles Lakers legend then noted that it was being done to motivate Mitchell.

That anger from Ingles is a natural response from a teammate, with the criticism of Mitchell by O’Neal questionable based on the guard’s NBA career.

Mitchell has career averages of 22.8 points, 4.1 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game, numbers that helped earn him a massive five-year contract extension worth an estimated $195 million.

The Jazz reached the Western Conference semifinals during Mitchell’s first year with the team, but have been knocked out in the first round during each of the past two seasons.

Some of O’Neal’s criticism is likely directed at the fact that the Jazz held a 3-1 advantage over the Denver Nuggets last season, but ended up losing that series in seven games.

From a broader perspective, putting the burden of failing to advance on Mitchell is an unfair assessment. That’s because the quality of the teams that have reached the NBA Finals during his time in the league would have made any team’s path to a title a difficult one.

In June 2018, the Golden State Warriors won their second straight NBA title, then lost in six games in the 2019 finals. Last season, the Los Angeles Clippers entered the year as favorites, but it was the Los Angeles Lakers who ended up capturing the league title.

In the exchange with O’Neal, Mitchell offered virtually no response, though his body language clearly indicated an obvious reaction to the insult.

Mitchell is likely hoping for redemption for this year and beyond, with Ingles’ criticism showing that the Jazz just added one more bit of motivation once the postseason gets underway.

Brad Sullivan

Brad has written on a variety of both NBA and NFL topics and has worked previously as a sports information director at the collegiate level. A lifetime fan of sports, he's witnessed countless great moments in different sports and understands that stories can be compelling from both the perspective of winners and losers. As a frustrated fan of Cleveland sports, he experienced something unprecedented when the Cavaliers won the city's first championship in 52 years.

Published by
Brad Sullivan

Recent Posts

Antonio Brown offering to play for Steelers ‘for free’ to finish 2024 season

Former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown enjoyed his golden years in the league while playing…

1 hour ago

Jemele Hill blasts X amid LeBron’s social media break: ‘Full of racists, conspiracy theorists and jerks’

On Wednesday, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James called out the amount of negativity in…

2 hours ago

Joel Embiid says ‘everything’ gets blown out of proportion with him: ‘I’m the reason for everything’

Following the Philadelphia 76ers' loss to the Miami Heat on Monday, the squad reportedly held…

4 hours ago

Ben Simmons’ agent dunks on media outlet that disrespected his client

Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons laid an egg against the New York Knicks on Nov.…

1 day ago

Michael Jordan’s former teammate takes issue with G League plan for Bronny James

Former NFL safety Ryan Clark recently spoke critically of the fact that Los Angeles Lakers…

1 day ago

Giants player calls Daniel Jones ‘the best quarterback on the team’ ahead of shocking benching

Much to the shock of plenty of folks, the New York Giants announced that they…

2 days ago