Kobe and Shaq
The Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant (R) pats his shoulder while talking to teammate Shaquille O'Neal during pre-game warm ups against the Boston Celtics in Boston, Massachusetts March 10, 2004. Bryant has been suffering from a strain in his right shoulder. Reuters

Former NBA player and legendary big man Shaquille O’Neal has a few choice words for Russell Westbrook saying that the Oklahoma City Thunder star point guard needs to tweak his game to give his team a better shot at winning an National Basketball Association (NBA) title.

Speaking with the nola.com,a website for the New Orleans Times Picayune, the 42-year-old O’Neal was asked if the OKC Thunder are the team to beat in the upcoming 2014-2015 season.

“In the history of the game, every one-two punch – the one or the two - has to sacrifice and step back. (Thunder guard) Russell Westbrook don’t step back enough for me. At some point for the betterment of the team, you’ve got to step back,” O’Neal answered strongly.

“Until Westbrook learns to step back, it may be hard for them. Kevin Durant is the man, but Westbrook is like I’m getting mine every time. You can’t do it.”

The 7-foot-1 Shaq, who attended Louisiana State University in college, knows what he’s talking about when referring to successful 1-2 punches in the NBA. O’Neal played with star guard Kobe Bryant and the pair lead the Los Angeles Lakers to three consecutive championships from 2000 to 2002.

Considered as one of the most dominant players of all-time, Shaq also played with another star guard in Dwyane Wade in 2006 when they won the NBA title for the Miami Heat.

Westbrook is no doubt an excellent player but his decision-making at the point guard spot has been criticised by many observers like Shaq as the Thunder have been a consistent contenders in the Western Conference but has failed to go all the way to the championship.

Shaq did not mention it specifically but the big man is referring to the fact that Westbrook, despite his scoring prowess and constant energy, needs to run the team better and especially, give way to teammate Durant in stretches of the game.

To compare, Durant averaged 32.0 points on 20.8 field goals attempts (on 50.3% field goal shooting) while Westbrook averaged 21.8 markers on 17.2 field goal attempts (on 43.7% field goal shooting) in the 2013-2014 regular season

In the 2014 playoffs, Durant’s scoring dipped to 29.6 PPG on 22.2 FGA (46.0% FG shooting) while Westbrook logged in 26.7 PPG on 20.9 FGA (42.0% FG shooting).

Oklahoma City has been more than respectable in the Durant-Westbrook era but has always come up short; they lost in the West Finals in 2011; lost in the NBA Finals in 2012; West Semifinals in 2013; and West Finals in 2014.

For a lot of Westbrook critics, including Shaquille O’Neal, OKC needs more of Durant and more of an effective Westbrook. The latter will only happen if the OKC star guard can sacrifice some of his scoring to give way for the real and no. 1 superstar in Oklahoma City.

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