Chris Russo has recently secured a multi-year contract extension with ESPN and garnered more accolades in the past month. However, there’s one thing he’s yet to attain – a ‘G-14 classification.’
Once again, Shaquille O’Neal has taken aim at Mad Dog, withholding his self-proclaimed credential from the sports analyst.
During The Big Podcast, O’Neal voiced his frustration, stating, “A lot of dudes who have no G14 classification like Mad Dog… like what the [expletive] do you know about quarterbacks?… so shut the f*** up Mad Dog!” Using a line reminiscent of Chris Tucker’s iconic phrase from Rush Hour, O’Neal emphasized why former pro athletes like himself and Cam Newton make better media personalities than Russo.
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“If you are great like a Shaq and a Cam, we have G-14 classification to say whatever you want, cuz we’ve been there and we done that.” O’Neal argued that both he and Newton are qualified to speak on sports due to their extensive experience as athletes from their student days to their professional careers, where they faced immense pressure.
Their status, according to O’Neal, grants them access anywhere, much like Tucker’s character in the original movie. “I can show my badge and have a meeting with the president of the United States cuz I have G14 classification, that’s what y’all need to understand, period.”
The feud between Shaq and Russo is long-standing. While Russo boasts an impressive media background, O’Neal advises him to “stick to the traditional media when it comes to sports.” He even criticized fans who believe they know more than the athletes themselves based on TV appearances, but his primary target remains Mad Dog.
Russo ignited Shaq and his fanbase in 2023 when he ranked the Big Aristotle as the fifth-best center in league history, sparking outrage from colleagues like Stephen A. Smith and Jay Williams. While Russo justified his rankings, the NBA community vehemently disagreed, with O’Neal declaring, he’d “smack the s*** outta that dude,” albeit stating he won’t because, “I’m corporate.”
