Contradicting Shaquille O’Neal, 4x NBA Champ Explains WNBA’s Growth Amid NBA’s Decline

Why is Shaquille O’Neal’s WNBA fix not working for the NBA? If you caught Shaquille O’Neal on Angel Reese’s Unapologetically Angel podcast, you’d know he suggested that dunking could further boost the ratings of the women’s league. But despite the abundance of dunks and posterizing moments in the NBA, the league is still dealing with a decline in viewership ratings. Interestingly, Big Diesel’s former teammate from the Los Angeles Lakers seems to have an answer.

Appearing on the Really No Really podcast, John Salley weighed in on why the WNBA’s popularity is on the rise while the NBA is struggling to keep viewers hooked. “I think, because in women’s sports, they play the game without the dunk in basketball,” Salley explained.

Now, before you think he’s completely anti-dunk, he did give a shoutout to legendary athletes like Lisa Leslie who’ve elevated the WNBA with their slam-dunking skills. But Salley’s real point lies elsewhere: the women’s game thrives on fundamentals.

“They’re fundamentally sound,” Salley said on the podcast. “Not just totally athletics. They still play a fundamental game. They still play a team game. And it’s fast, and the girls and the ladies are dribbling and shooting the three and doing all these things.”

This perspective challenges Shaquille O’Neal’s earlier suggestion that lowering the rim — from 10 feet to could boost the WNBA’s appeal. On Angel Reese’s podcast, Shaq compared it to women’s beach volleyball, where the net is set slightly lower.

“Just so we can dunk?” Reese interjected when Big Diesel brought up the idea. “Yes,” he responded, to which she fired back: “No. I hate when men say that.” While Shaquille O’Neal focused on dunking as the missing piece for the WNBA, Salley pointed to something deeper: the artistry of the game.

Not the only controversial take Shaquille O’Neal had on popularizing WNBA

Big Diesel has never been one to shy away from bold opinions. But his remarks on Angel Reese’s podcast had stirred up yet another controversy. His comments about WNBA star Angel Reese and how to elevate the league’s popularity raised many eyebrows. It all started when Reese asked the 4x NBA champ for advice at the end of her podcast. What followed was a mix of encouragement, comparisons, and suggestions that quickly went off track.

Shaq began with praise, comparing the Chicago Sky star to former NBA All-Star Antoine Jamison. It was a solid start but then things got awkward. The former Lakers star suggested Reese could wear the same shorts she had on MTV’s Wild ‘N Out while dunking. “Imagine you on the same little shorts you had on at ‘Wild ‘N Out’ dunking. You know how many T-shirts you going to sell?” 

Reese’s visible discomfort didn’t stop him from continuing. “Listen, you’re not just beautiful, good-looking. You are gorgeous,” he said, before extending the compliment to multiple others in the WNBA. While Angel tried emphasizing women athletes don’t care for male opinion in this regard, Shaquille O’Neal insisted, “That’s the problem.”

Following this, fans didn’t hold back, calling his comments inappropriate and questioning how such advice benefits the league.