The Philadelphia 76ers were once again unable to get past the second round of the postseason this year. Many thought things would be different for them after they acquired James Harden in a blockbuster trade, but Shaquille O'Neal knows it is never that simple.
Shaq took a swipe at Harden and Joel Embiid in an Instagram post on Sunday. He also paid tribute to the late Kobe Bryant by saying there was “only one superduo ever created.” That duo, of course, is Shaq and Kobe.
Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen would probably like a word. Also, Embiid played through significant injuries during the playoffs this year. There is no telling how the 76ers would have fared if he were healthy. Either way, we get the point Shaq was trying to make.
The Sixers have now been unable to make deep playoff runs despite having star players like Harden, Embiid, Ben Simmons and Jimmy Butler. Struggles like theirs are a reminder of just how difficult it is to win in the postseason. That is why the dominance we saw from Shaq and Kobe was so impressive.
More must-reads: