The NBA is gearing up for the start of the 2025 NBA Finals, with many fans excited for the matchup. The Oklahoma City Thunder will be taking on the Indiana Pacers, offering a different feeling to the NBA Finals for the first time in years.
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But the criticism that has come toward the NBA in recent months is still around. The league experienced ratings issues all season, with many pointing to the heavy increase in 3-point shot attempts.
Well, once again, NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal has gone after the league. O'Neal has been critical of the changes in the NBA, but went after the league again, calling it soft.
"The league is getting soft, the game is getting soft and it's going to take a couple of people to bring it back," O'Neal said during a recent appearance on the "New Heights" podcast.
O'Neal has pointed to the increase in 3-point shooting, especially coming from big men in the league. The former center was dominant in the paint during his time in the league, and has been outspoken on this new era of players.
"Like, I hate big guys shooting (3-pointers). Victor Wembanyama is a great player, but I would love to just see him dominate so much that people start complaining, and they change the rules like when I did. I could shoot, but I'm not going to shoot a (3-pointer)," O'Neal said.
"Why would I shoot a (3-pointer) when I could put your little a-- in the basket and dunk on you and put these balls in your face."
O'Neal isn't the only former player to express concerns with how the league has gone. But he is one of the few who has a large enough platform to be heard on a consistent basis.
Many former players believe that the NBA lacks physicality in today's era, with players being allowed to foul-bait during games. But in reality, each era of the NBA has been different throughout the years in how the game is played.
The NBA has been tinkering with different changes across the board to drive ratings up, and they are hopeful that the Finals will help. For the seventh straight season, the NBA will name a new champion, showing that parity is very much alive in the league.
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