Utah Politician Enters House Bill Blasting Shaq, Back Off Donovan Mitchell
Utah Politician Destroys Shaq In House Bill ... Back Off Donovan Mitchell
A Utah politician ain't happy with Shaquille O'Neal's harsh treatment of Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell -- so she introduced a resolution TRASHING the NBA Hall of Famer for everything from "Kazaam" to "Shaq Fu."
... and it's hilarious!
The woman behind the legislation is Rep. Kera Birkeland -- who's the main sponsor of HR3, AKA, "House Resolution Honoring Donovan Mitchell Over Shaquille O'Neal."
The resolution was written to recognize "the exemplary service of Donovan Mitchell to the Utah Jazz and the Utah community; and suggests consideration of making the 'Spida' the official state arachnid."
But, it ain't all sunshine and rainbows -- the bill goes HARD at Shaq for that infamous post-game interview last week when O'Neal told 24-year-old Mitchell he doesn't have what it takes "to get to the next level."
Mitchell handled the on-air criticism like a champ -- and Shaq later explained he was just trying to motivate the guy.
But, O'Neal has been highly criticized by everyone from LeBron James to Kevin Durant -- and now, the politicians are getting involved!
Part of the resolution notes ... "In Utah, we support our players when they face awkward abuse during post-game interviews disguised as pep talks."
Then, the attack begins ... "WHEREAS, the claim by Shaquille O'Neal (Shaq) on January 21, 2021, that Utah Jazz All-Star Donovan Mitchell Jr. (Donovan) doesn't have what it takes to get to the next level is even less accurate than his 50.4% playoff free-throw percentage (slightly worse than Donovan's 88.1%)."
Oh, there's more ... "WHEREAS, the Jazz eliminated Shaq and the Los Angeles Lakers from the playoffs in 1997 (4-1) and 1998 (4-0)."
Yep, the Shaq attack continues ...
"We are not talking about 2000, 2001, 2002, or 2006 right now, the years in which Kobe Bryant's Los Angeles Lakers and Dwayne Wade's Miami Heat won championships for Shaq."
Now, the cheap shots ... the resolution goes through some of Shaq's biggest flops from movies to video games.
"Kazaam has a 5% rating on Rotten Tomatoes ... ,Shaq under-develops his hot takes almost as well as his 1990's "Shaq Fu" video game."
"Although Shaq's 'skill' was being bigger than everyone else, Donovan has progressively succeeded through talent, dedication, and constant effort."
The resolution also notes Mitchell's charitable contributions to the people of Utah -- "Donovan has provided backpacks, school supplies, and most importantly, his time, to Utah students."
"Donovan launched the SPIDACARES, a foundation to empower women following the example set by his mother and sister."
We spoke with Rep. Birkeland who tells us the resolution is "100% real" -- adding, "I can tell you that so many players in our state were disheartened that even at the NBA level you're still getting marginalized."
"[Mitchell's response] is a battle cry that every athlete in our state should get behind."