The Detroit Pistons social media team issued the perfect response to NBA on TNT analyst Shaquille O’Neal, who has been downplaying their season in a couple of viral remarks.
“You want to brag about a team that’s 32-26? Stop it,” Shaq said to Adam Lefkoe on a recent episode The Big Podcast. “That’s not success. 40-20. We talked about it. Bro, Detroit Pistons ain’t winning no [expletive] championship. Stop it.”
He then spoke about the Pistons on NBA on TNT’s Tuesday postgame show, in which he mistakenly said the team’s coach is former player Chauncey Billups.
“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, praising Cunningham. “I like the way he’s playing. I like what Chauncey’s doing. Those guys play hard.”
Although Billups is a Pistons great who was recently inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame, he is actually the coach of the Portland Trail Blazers. Candice didn’t let him off the hook, ribbing him for mixing up the name of the Pistons coach, who is J.B. Bickerstaff.
“No, I can’t let this go. Who’s doing it? You said Chauncey,” Parker asked.
“Chauncey’s the coach, right?” O’Neal responded.
Vince Carter, also on the panel, corrected O’Neal on his error, which made Shaq give a bold admission that he doesn’t watch the Pistons.
“First of all, I don’t watch Detroit. How about that, boo-boo?”
Nothing new here https://t.co/wyj5wWLZsd pic.twitter.com/XaibZ7WxDS
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) March 13, 2025
In response to a tweet from NBA personality Legend of Winning, who criticized Shaquille O’Neal for dismissing the Pistons, Detroit’s social media team fired back by sharing a photo of Shaq from the 2004 Lakers—reminding everyone of the Pistons’ historic upset over Los Angeles in the NBA Finals that year.
“Nothing new here” the caption stated.
The Pistons have had a phenomenal season, resurrecting themselves from a 14-68 record and 28-game losing streak that set the NBA record for the longest in history. IN just one season under new head coach J.B. Bickerstaff they’ve made themselves on e of the top teams in the Eastern Conference and are only a few games away from hosting a playoff series in the first round.
Their success should certainly be applauded, especially by NBA media members. Shaq certainly won’t be happy with the Pistons slight, as he will surely respond on TNT’s NBA coverage on Thursday. But, NBA fans are rejoicing, both at Detroit’s success and their petty clapback at Shaq’s adverseness to their success.
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