If you were to make a list of the NBA’s feel-good stories for the 2024-25 season, the Detroit Pistons’ resurgence would be toward the top.
Yet despite the Pistons being on the verge of clinching their first winning record in six seasons while firmly in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff picture, it appears that Shaquille O’Neal has some studying to do when it comes to Detroit basketball.
On an episode of The Big Podcast with Shaq posted late last week, co-host Adam Lefkoe praised the Pistons’ recent seven-game winning streak. O’Neal, however, was less than impressed, stating “whoopie freaking do” while claiming that Detroit was still four games under .500.
The only problem? The Pistons were actually six games over .500 at the time of the podcast, which Lefkoe pointed out. Never one to back down, the Hall of Fame center continued to downplay Detroit’s recent run, claiming that being 32-26 is nothing to write home about.
“That’s not success,” O’Neal said. “Detroit Pistons ain’t winning no f***ing championship. Stop it.”
Regardless of his shifting of the goalposts, O’Neal had plenty of praise for the Pistons on TNT’s Tuesday night postgame show. But despite stating that he was impressed with Detroit’s turnaround, his lack of Pistons knowledge remained on full display.
“Cade Cunningham — a great player now, he plays at his own pace. Anybody that can consistently play at their own pace and put up numbers is a great player,” O’Neal said of Detroit’s All-Star guard. “I like the way he’s playing. I like what Chauncey’s doing. Those guys play hard.”
Who?
While Chauncy Billups is one of the greatest players in Pistons history and a former NBA Finals MVP, he’s currently the head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers. And co-host Candace Parker couldn’t let that one slide, calling attention to The Big Aristotle’s error.
“No, I can’t let this go. Who’s doing it?” Parker asked. “You said Chauncey?”
“Chauncey’s the coach, right?” O’Neal responded.
After Vince Carter informed him that J.B. Bickerstaff is actually the current head coach of the Pistons, O’Neal stated the obvious.
“First of all, I don’t watch Detroit. How about that, boo-boo?” the 2000 NBA MVP said, looking directly at Lefkoe. “I messed up. I made a mistake.”
While nobody is going to confuse Shaquille O’Neal for Zach Lowe anytime soon, not knowing who Detroit’s head coach is qualifies as a fairly glaring mistake. And while it’s hardly surprising that he’s now turned his lack of interest in the Pistons into a running bit, it isn’t the best look for one of the NBA’s most prominent (and highly paid) analysts to be openly indifferent toward one of the league’s most impressive teams.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.