Rudy Gobert was forced to use his award-winning defense on Shaquille O’Neal on Thursday … firing back after the Hall of Famer called him the worst player in the NBA.

The Big Aristotle didn’t mince his words during a sit-down with his son, Myles, this week … when he claimed the Minnesota Timberwolves big man “can’t f***ing play” and didn’t deserve his five-year, $205 million contract.

Shaq insisted he wasn’t being a hater … just stating facts, as there are so many people in the world with “real” jobs who don’t get paid nearly as much.

“There’s a reason why I walk funny, why I can’t turn my neck and why I can’t do it because I played for my 120 [million],” Shaq said. “So you got guys like him that f*** the system over there making all this money and they can’t f***ing play. So I don’t respect guys like that.”

The French baller was understandably not too pleased with Shaq’s assessment … and addressed the criticism on social media.

“It is sad to see someone that has accomplished as much as you did @SHAQ both in sport and business still be triggered by another man’s finances and accomplishments,” the four-time Defensive Player of the Year winner said.

“I get the entertainment part but unlike other folks, you don’t need that stuff to stay relevant.”

No word on what O’Neal thinks about Gobert’s reply … but the guy isn’t alone — as the center was also voted the most overrated player in the league by his peers in an anonymous survey earlier this year.