Michael Wilbon recently expressed a desire to resolve a supposed long-standing feud between Shaquille O’Neal and David Robinson, which he discussed after the 30th anniversary of Robinson scoring 71 points against the Los Angeles Clippers was brought up on PTI.
This performance famously clinched Robinson the 1994 NBA scoring title, narrowly edging out Shaq.
Wilbon lamented what he thought was a rift between the two NBA legends, stemming from an incident where Robinson allegedly refused to sign an autograph for Shaq during his youth in San Antonio.
“I think David Robinson didn’t sign an autograph or something when Shaq was growing up in the San Antonio area when he was a kid… But come on! Those are two of the great players in NBA history,” Wilbon said, hoping for reconciliation.
RELATED: Charles Barkley, Shaq Slam NBA Over What League Does to Refs After Games
However, the truth is that this feud was a fabrication. On the same evening, during the “Inside the NBA” show, Shaq joked about the autograph incident, saying, “The man who didn’t sign my autograph, I’m coming for you, Dave!” highlighting the playful nature of his claim.
Ernie Johnson clarified to Shaq that the story was indeed made up, a fact that Shaq himself had admitted publicly.
In 2020, during a ‘90s NBA reunion Zoom call, Shaq apologized to Robinson, revealing that he concocted the story out of youthful rivalry after Robinson became the star player in San Antonio. Robinson also shared that Shaq had confessed the tale was untrue back at the 1996 Olympics.
Kenny Smith confirmed that Shaq had previously admitted on television that the story was a fabrication. With this information, it’s clear that Wilbon’s concerns about needing to mend a rift between O’Neal and Robinson are unfounded, as the “feud” never actually existed. Hopefully, this revelation will put Wilbon’s mind at ease, knowing there’s no actual bridge to mend between the two basketball greats.
