To quote the old Christmas song, and repurpose it for a different season, “It’s the hap, hap, happiest time of the year…” We’re talking NBA Playoffs, of course! The Play-In tournament started this week, and (as of this writing / posting), the “finals” of that play-in are tonight (Friday). Out west, the first round is already set. Our favorite big man, Shaq, and his comrade Sir Charles are officially in with two different calls for that series.
When it comes to playoff predictions, O’Neal doesn’t mince words—and this week, the Big Diesel is backing the old guard. As the NBA Playoffs heat up, Shaq made it clear who he’s riding with in the first-round showdown between the Golden State Warriors and the upstart Houston Rockets.
“I like Golden State over Houston,” Shaq said during Tuesday night’s broadcast on NBA on TNT. “Experience… I like experience over youth.”
Classic Shaq: straight to the point, and always with a little spice.
It’s not a surprising pick. The Warriors may be the No. 7 seed, but they’ve been through the wars—four titles, a Hall of Fame core, and a playoff resume that’s longer than a Shaq size-22 shoe. Meanwhile, the Rockets, who finished as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, are entering the postseason for the first time since 2020. This young squad has been electric all season long, but the playoff pressure cooker is a different beast.
Good news for Warriors fans…
The regular season head-to-heads tell a pretty balanced story. Golden State won three out of five games against Houston this season, but the Rockets took the most recent matchup, 106-96. That April 6 win saw the Warriors stumble hard—Stephen Curry was ice-cold, shooting just 1-for-10 from the field and finishing with only three points. That’s not the Curry fans are used to, but it’s the kind of game that gives underdogs hope.
Still, Shaq’s loyalty isn’t just about names on jerseys. It’s about that playoff pedigree. And Golden State has been trending upward since acquiring Jimmy Butler in a mid-season trade with the Miami Heat. The squad has gone 23-7 since Butler’s arrival, and his veteran presence could be the x-factor when the games really start to count.
Click here for the YouTube video….
On the other side, the Rockets finished the regular season at 52-30, boasting a rock-solid 29-12 record at home. They’ve made the Toyota Center in Houston a fortress, and they’ve got youth, speed, and nothing to lose. But will that be enough to take down the playoff-tested Warriors?
Charles Barkley thinks so. Never one to shy away from stirring the pot with Shaq, Chuck doubled down on the Rockets: “I still like the Rockets in that series,” he said on TNT. You can bet that’s going to fire up some fiery studio debates in the coming days.
It’s experience vs. energy. Vets vs. youth. Warriors vs. Rockets. And the Big Diesel is rolling with the old heads.
Game 1 tips off Sunday night in Houston. Whether Shaq’s prediction holds true or the Rockets light the fuse and pull the upset, one thing’s for sure: this series is going to be must-watch TV.
And with Shaq, Chuck, Kenny, and Ernie on the mic? The real show might just be during halftime.