Photo Credit: Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports

JaVale McGee Opens Up On How Shaqtin’ A Fool Affected His Career

In February of 2017, JaVale McGee had enough of appearing on Shaqtin’ A Fool, on a weekly basis. McGee had been the laughing stock of the NBA during his Shaqtin career, for his blooper-filled highlights.

This led to a Twitter fight between Shaq and JaVale who threatened and insulted each other.

The Golden State Warriors, McGee’s team at the time, then reached out to TNT to express the negative portrayal of JaVale McGee on O’Neal’s Shaqtin ‘A Fool is hurting their player’s reputation, as well as the team’s. Shaquille O’Neal promised Turner Sports (TNT) that he is finished with the JaVale McGee beef and will stop further jokes about him.

Ever since that day, JaVale McGee hasn’t been part of Shaqtin’ A Fool ever again and turned his career around for the better. 

Today, McGee is a well-respected center with three NBA championships and an Olympic gold medal on his belt.

During his appearance on Shannon Sharpe’s ‘Club Shay Shay’, the big man now opened up on how O’Neal affected his career through ‘Shaqtin’ a Fool’.

“The thing about that whole Shaqtin’ a Fool era of when I was on there is I didn’t realize what it was doing to my career until I got started to move on to other teams. And I would talk to other coaches and middle of the year they’d be like ‘I’ve always seen that Shaqtin’ a Fool stuff and had a different mental review and I never knew like you’re a smart kid. You’re extremely vocal, you’re a great basketball player.’

It was slowly chipping away at my reputation. As a young 24-year-old athletic basketball player, young, excited, it was just slowly chipping away.’”