Shaquille O’Neal Has a Blunt Message for Dave Portnoy About Tom Brady

manasviguptaThu, July 23, 2026 at 5:47 PM UTC

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Photo Credit: Rob Kim/Getty Images

Shaquille O’Neal is once again standing up for his friend Tom Brady—and this time, Dave Portnoy is on the receiving end of the NBA legend’s fury. Shaqstrongly pushed back againstthe Barstool Sports founder’s harsh criticism of Tom Brady‘s WWE decision and media presence. Portnoy had called Tom Brady’s post-retirement career “cringey” and “lame.”

Tom Brady’s post-NFL career sparked Dave Portnoy’s harsh criticism

O’Neal fired back at Portnoy after the Barstool boss went after Brady’s post-NFL conduct, calling out the seven-time Super Bowl champion for a heated exchange with Logan Paul at the Fanatics Fest. Portnoy didn’t hold back and said the NFL legend’s image has become “one of the great downfalls of an icon.”

Shaquille, too, didn’t mince words. The Lakers legend clapped back at Portnoy and told Page Six, “I’d be glad if somebody punches him in the face. And I hope it’s Tom [Brady]. I try to be nice, [but] you can tell him I said that. He called Portnoy an “idiot” and said that Barstool founder’s opinions “never” mattered.

Further defending Brady, Shaq added, “He knows exactly what he’s doing, and he’s doing it so well.”

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This isn’t the first time O’Neal has backed his friend Brady’s in his public feuds. Just months earlier, at the Milken Institute Global Conference, Shaq issued a similar threat aimed at Logan Paul following an incident.

“Nobody messes with Tom Brady in my life,” O’Neal said at the time, adding that he’d called Brady directly to check if the disrespect was serious. “I was like, ‘I will punch this kid in his face.’ Tom is the nicest guy.”

Brady, 48, and O’Neal, 54, have been longtime pals—with O’Neal repeatedly showing up to defend Brady’s honor whenever critics come for him.

TELL US—DO YOU THINK SHAQ WAS RIGHT TO GO AFTER PORTNOY, OR DID HE TAKE IT TOO FAR?

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”