Kevin Durant doesn't just play basketball. He lives in the comments. He’s the superstar who actually talks back, which is exactly why the ongoing saga of Kevin Durant on Shaq—Shaquille O’Neal, the Big Aristotle, the Diesel—is so fascinating. It isn’t just some regular retired-player-hating-on-the-youth thing. It’s a full-blown clash of philosophies. On one side, you’ve got Shaq, a guy who views the NBA through the lens of a "G-14 Classification." That's his way of saying: if you haven't won a ring as the undisputed leader, you don't get a seat at the table.
On the other side, you have KD. A two-time champion, two-time Finals MVP, and quite possibly the most "pure" scorer the game has ever seen. But to Shaq, those rings in Golden State come with an asterisk the size of a seven-foot center.
The "Bus Driver" vs. "Bus Rider" Debate
Honestly, the whole beef kinda peaked with the "bus driver" analogy. If you’ve spent any time on NBA Twitter or watching Inside the NBA, you know the drill. Charles Barkley coined it, but Shaq has been the one driving the bus—pun intended—ever since. The logic is simple: Shaq thinks KD was a passenger on Steph Curry’s bus.
Back in early 2023, things got petty on a level only these two can reach. Shaq admitted on TNT that he didn't really know who Rui Hachimura was after the Lakers traded for him. KD, never one to let a slight against the "pure game" go, tweeted: "Shaquille doesn't know ball?"
Shaq didn't take it lying down. He fired back, telling KD he knows how to brush his hair (a dig at KD's often-mocked hair/scalp) and signed it off with "love always, THE BUS DRIVER." It’s funny, sure, but it cuts deep. It’s Shaq’s way of saying that regardless of how many 30-point games KD has, he hasn't "won" the right to talk to the legends until he wins one as the clear-cut Number One elsewhere.
Why Shaq keeps moving the goalposts
You've gotta understand where Shaq is coming from to see why he’s so hard on Durant. Shaq grew up in a different era. He was bullied by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain until he won. Kareem used to say Shaq wasn't great because he hadn't won yet. Shaq "sucked it up" and won three in a row in LA just to shut them up.
So, when he looks at KD joining a 73-9 Warriors team, he sees a shortcut. In Shaq’s mind, if you take the shortcut, you lose your "G-14 Classification."
The JaVale McGee Incident
This whole thing actually goes back way further than 2023. Remember the JaVale McGee saga in 2017? Shaq was relentlessly mocking JaVale on "Shaqtin' a Fool." KD stepped in to defend his teammate, calling Shaq "childish" and pointing out that Shaq had flaws too—like being a "sh***y free throw shooter."
Shaq’s response? "Mind yo business." He told KD he wasn't "in the club" yet. Even back then, with KD on the verge of his first title, the hierarchy was set in stone for O'Neal.
Is there actually a "Beef" in 2026?
Surprisingly, the tone has shifted a bit recently. Late in 2024 and heading into 2025, Shaq actually started defending KD in certain spots. When Stephen A. Smith started questioning Durant’s leadership, Shaq took KD's side on The Big Podcast.
"Kevin Durant is probably similar to my situation," Shaq said. He argued that when you've "been there and done that," you just want respect. It was a rare moment of empathy. Maybe Shaq realizes that at 37, KD is still putting up MVP-caliber numbers while most big men (including Shaq himself at that age) were starting to fade into role-player territory.
But don't get it twisted. The "bus driver" narrative isn't gone. It’s just dormant. If the Suns fail to make a deep run, you can bet your house that Shaq will be back on TNT talking about how KD can't "lead a house he built."
What most people get wrong about this
The biggest misconception is that Shaq "hates" KD. He doesn't. Shaq is obsessed with the "Big Man" and "All-Time Great" hierarchy. He guards the "Top 10" list like a hawk. To Shaq, if he lets KD in without a "non-Warriors" ring, it devalues what he, Kobe, and Duncan did.
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KD, meanwhile, thinks the whole thing is "old head" nonsense. He views basketball as an art form. To him, the rings are a byproduct of playing the right way, not the sole validator of his existence. He told Bill Simmons years ago that Shaq's life seems centered around feeling validated by championships, whereas KD just wants to hoop.
Where do they go from here?
If you're looking for a peaceful resolution, don't hold your breath. These are two of the most sensitive, high-ego, and brilliant minds in basketball history. They are always one tweet or one segment away from another "Twitter storm."
The Actionable Reality for Fans:
- Check the context: When Shaq misses a "G-14" reference, he's talking about a specific type of leadership, not talent.
- Watch the games, not just the clips: KD’s impact on the floor is often more nuanced than the "leader" narrative suggests.
- Ignore the "hater" label: Shaq’s criticism usually stems from his own experience of being pushed by older legends. It's an "iron sharpens iron" mentality, even if it comes off as petty.
The next time you see Kevin Durant on Shaq in the headlines, remember it's a battle for the soul of basketball's legacy. One man believes in the power of the individual leader; the other believes in the purity of the game itself.
Keep an eye on the Suns' playoff performance this year. That will be the ultimate fuel for the next chapter of this rivalry. If KD wins a ring in Phoenix, Shaq might finally have to hand over those "G-14" papers. Until then, the bus is still idling.
Next Steps for the NBA Die-Hard:
If you want to understand the "Bus Driver" theory better, go back and watch the 2022 playoffs where the Nets got swept by the Celtics—that's the specific moment the "bus rider" talk went from a joke to a legitimate stain on KD's legacy in the eyes of the TNT crew. It's the "evidence" they use every time he has a bad game now.