*By Max Godnick*
Not everyone is rooting for the Golden State Warriors to continue their dominance after announcing plans to sign a fifth All-Star in Demarcus Cousins.
And those naysayers can now add the sport's most iconic, bellowing voice to its chorus of criticism.
"I think it's a little bit broken," said Shaquille O'Neal about the state of the NBA in an interview with Cheddar on Friday.
The four-time NBA champion and and 15-time All-Star is no stranger to success on the league's biggest stage. During his 19-year career, he played alongside current and future Hall of Famers including Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, and Dwyane Wade. But none of his teams started five of the best players in the league or required the same free-agency acrobatics necessary to construct the Oakland behemoth.
And the unprecedented consolidation of elite talent has [some](https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-golden-state-warriors-have-broken-the-nba-1530619138) sounding the alarm about the death of the league's competitive balance.
"I just miss the days where guys would compete against each other," O'Neal said, looking back on the storied, and largely equal, rivalries between Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and IsiahThomas, and Shaq's own Lakers and Tim Duncan's San Antonio Spurs.
The NBA has seen a social-media-driven renaissance over the past decade. It leads the other major American sports leagues in Twitter and Instagram followers and has spawned a digital ecosystem of memes, hot takes, jokes, and real-time commentary that has allowed its popularity to reach new heights.
O'Neal said the digital landscape created a win-now atmosphere that's fueled the rise of "superteams" like the Warriors.
"There's so much pressure on these kids to win," he said, adding, "everybody wants to be a winner, so a lot of these guys are taking the easy route just to get a championship."
It's hard to say LeBron James is taking shortcuts on his path to winning an elusive fourth title. The superstar just announced he'll sign with the Los Angeles Lakers for a four-year, $154 million contract. But unlike his stints in Miami or Cleveland, James won't be immediately joined by a fellow All-Star on his new team.
"LeBron is going to need a lot more help if he wants to compete with the Golden State Warriors," said O'Neal.
The 'Inside the NBA' analyst played for the Lakers from 1996 to 2004, winning three championships along the way. He said he thinks James "will do great" on the team, but thinks management should find a way to trade for disgruntled San Antonio Spurs star Kawhi Leonard if they hope to put up a fight against the Warriors - a group Shaq called, "the most talented team in NBA history."
For the full segment, [click here.](https://cheddar.com/videos/why-shaq-thinks-the-nba-is-broken)
The minor league baseball team is temporarily rebranding itself this season to incorporate the famous rodent that dragged a pizza slice down New York City's subway steps. "It's an aggressive name, I think it's probably a little edgy, a little different," said Staten Island Yankees president Will Smith.
The U.S., Canada, and Mexico will jointly host the World Cup in 2026, bringing the sporting event back to U.S. soil after a 30-plus-year hiatus. "I think it offers an aspirational platform for young players today," says Dan Flynn, U.S. Soccer CEO.
The driving range-slash-entertainment venue includes bars and restaurants, turning golf into a fun activity for all demographics, says Topgolf executive chairman Erik Anderson.
The 2018 World Cup starts on Thursday, and Jason Gurwin, co-founder and CEO of FOMOPOP, discusses the best ways to watch all of the soccer games from Russia.
The Philadelphia rapper and die-hard 76ers fan Freeway wants LeBron James to forsake Cleveland and Los Angeles, and take his talents to the City of Brotherly Love.
The vote this week for host of the 2026 World Cup will be a test of FIFA's efforts to clean up its act after a corruption scandal rocked world soccer's governing body three years ago, said Ken Bensinger, author of "Red Card: How the U.S. Blew the Whistle on the World's Biggest Sports Scandal."
The co-creator of the Bikini Body Guide, which currently reaches a global online community of over 35 million women, talks about how the app acts like a personal trainer in your pocket.
The NBA star sat down with Alyssa Julya Smith to discuss what he looks for when picking start-ups to invest in. Among the companies in his portfolio: Postmates, JetSmarter, and Suzy.
PlayVS is the first esports league for high school students. The company announced $15 million in funding that will go towards preparing for its upcoming inaugural season.
Facebook is facing more backlash after a New York Times report revealed the social media company shared user data with at least 60 device makers. It turns out Facebook shared information with four Chinese firms, including Huawei. The Chinese company Huawei is the third largest smartphone maker in the world and has also faced intense scrutiny from U.S. government officials.
Tesla shareholders voted to keep Elon Musk on as chairman of the electric carmaker. At the annual shareholder meeting, Musk said the company is on track to deliver 5,000 Model 3 vehicles per week by the end of this month. Tesla will also open a new gigafactory in Shanghai, its first outside of the U.S.
And we talk to WNBA legend and Olympic gold medalist Lisa Leslie. She stars in the new film 'Uncle Drew' alongside Kyrie Irving, Chris Webber, Shaq, and other comedy and basketball greats. Leslie also weighs in on the NFL kneeling controversy.
