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Shaq Slams LeBron's Icy Hot Take on Hong Kong

Shaq is the king of ads.

Shaquille O'Neal

Erik Pendzich/Shutterstock

For people who've been following the saga of the NBA and Hong Kong, it may seem strange for Shaquille O'Neal, the emperor of commercials, to take a break from overseeing Shaqtoberfest to comment.

But did you know that Shaq is not only part owner of an NBA team—the Shaqramento Kings—he was actually once a giant basketball man? It's true! He even played for three of the same teams as noted GOAT LeBron James, and as it turns out, he has an opinion on the controversy that's unfolded between LeBron and the Houston Rockets' general manager, Daryl Morey.

In case you're unfamiliar, the story goes like this: Ongoing protests against mainland China's efforts to interfere in Hong Kong have prompted messages of support from many Americans, which China has been working to suppress. Earlier this month, Daryl Morey became one of those Americans with a now-deleted tweet that featured the slogan, "Fight For Freedom| Stand With Hong Kong," prompting a swift backlash from China and a noncommittal update from Morey. Reportedly, the NBA was urged to fire Morey, but declined.

Daryl Morey Risking His Job

Nonetheless, China is a huge market for professional basketball and, as former commissioner David Stern once said (in a pure distillation of capitalism), "I have a responsibility to my owners to make money." So a sloppy game of damage control ensued, culminating in LeBron James saying of Morey, "I believe he wasn't educated on the situation at hand, and he spoke, and so many people could have been harmed, not only financially, but physically. Emotionally. Spiritually. So just be careful what we tweet and what we say, and what we do. Even though yes, we do have freedom of speech, but there can be a lot of negative that comes with that too."

Some have defended LeBron's comments by pointing out that he and the Lakers were actually travelling in China at the time, and no doubt they had to deal with some of the turmoil that resulted from Morey's tweet. But on the whole, the reaction has been seething internet-hatred.

More than a week later, that hatred seemed like it was finally losing steam when suddenly Shaq stepped in to shake things up. Shaq loves to shake things up. Quoth Papa John's replacement papa, "Daryl Morey was right… one of our best values here in America is free speech. We're allowed to say what we want to say, and we're allowed to speak up about injustices, and that's just how it goes. And if people don't understand that, that's something they have to deal with."

And just like that, Kazaam's magic powers zapped life back into the story. How will LeBron respond? Does he know that the star of the Shaqfu videogame series has more championship rings than he does? And when will Shaq address his controversial friendship with infamous warlord The General? Only time will tell.

From Beyoncé to Sophie Turner: Celebrities Who Steal The Courtside Show

For better and worse.

We're bombarded with photographs of celebrities on a daily basis from all corners of media.

The more fascinating snapshots are of celebrities enjoying themselves, being human outside of the ability to walk to and from their cars. The intersection of the sports and entertainment industries is the apex of celebrity culture: they're two of America's greatest exports. As such, NBA games are the go-to place for celebrities to see and be seen. They sit courtside and often interact with the States' greatest players. It's a celebrated celebrity crossover. From viral moments to costing championships, the appeal of this kind of content reminds us how much we love seeing our celebs being truly human, in a way that can't be masked on the carpet or scripted in interviews.

Spike Lee

Many forget Spike Lee is the NBA's GOAT nuisance. The 1994 Eastern Conference Finals became a historic, frustrating moment for NBA stars. In Game 5, Lee's sideline antics had Reggie Miller dropping 25 points in a quarter, almost costing the Knicks their place in the finals. In Game 6, Chicago Bulls' Scottie Pippen was fed up with the director's commentary. After dunking on Ewing, Pippen walked straight up to Lee and directed him to sit down. The power move birthed an inadvertent player vs. fan feud.

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Spike Lee's basketball interference didn't end there. The long-time fan called out the Heat back in 2012, claiming on behalf of The Knicks, "We're gonna kick LeBron's ass." Lee may have trolled and attempted to bait the star from the sidelines but didn't manage to faze him. Really, Spike Lee walked so Drake could run.

Rihanna

Speaking of Drake, Rihanna has also become a notable presence in arenas across the country. She may not have an allegiance to a particular team, but she's definitely LeBron's A-List groupie. Wherever he goes, she's there.

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Also, who can forget the phenomenal moment Ethan Hawke made his son switch seats with him to mack on the singer. He really was all of us.

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Beyoncé and Jay-Z

Anytime Beyoncé shows up, someone is going to write about it. Whether it's LeBron getting a little too close to Beyoncé for Jay's comfort or Nicole Curran (wife of Warrior's owner, Jacob Lacob) talking across Beyoncé, it's always entertaining to watch.

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Sophie Turner

Across the sports spectrum, Sophie Turner has taken over the sideline, chugging wine and juuling up a storm. Her fun-loving, no-fucks-given personality is everything we could want and we hope to get more of it soon.

Drake

Oh, the reason we're all here. Think-pieces aside, the "appointed" Toronto Raptors' Global Ambassador was a great marketing strategy. Unfortunately, the Spike Lee impersonation isn't as genuine or inviting as the original. The rapper covered up several of his Warriors' tattoos in favor of Canada pride, rubbing everyone the wrong way. His enthusiasm is so notable, Barack Obama asked NBA commissioner, Adam Silver if Drake was behaving himself.

Chrissy Teigen and John Legend

Everyone loves when a celebrity get dunked on, but we love it even more when they embrace it. Teigen did just that when Dwayne Wade crashed into the pair, causing their drinks to splatter.

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