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A man who knows all too well the pressures of winning a champion with the Lakers is the one and only Shaq, aka, Shaquille O’Neal.
After Luka Doncic was traded to LA in February, he felt all the love of Los Angeles behind him, but Shaq warns that love will only extend so far.
“People gave a little grace because it happened so quickly, but this offseason they’re gonna be watching,” O’Neal said, via Sports Illustrated.
The three-time Lakers champion knows that scrutiny will be high for Doncic and James come September.
He also thinks a little more grit and sense of purpose from Luka and LeBron will go a long way in 2026.
“They’re gonna say, ‘Hey, Luka, how are you training? LeBron, what are you doing?’ And then next year, whoever wins this year, next year we’re still gonna be talking about the Lakers and what they’re doing,” O’Neal said. “So I look for them to be a little bit more determined.”
Every season LeBron plays he inches closer to retirement, with many pegging 2026 will be his last in the league.
Recently, O’Neal was asked whether the Lakers should build a statue in honor of James.
“LeBron broke the record, and he did it as a Laker,” O’Neal said of James becoming the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. “Would I oppose him having a statue in Los Angeles? No, I wouldn’t… But he won a championship with the Lakers, and a lot of people try to discredit it. If that one doesn’t count, then you can’t count Mr. Duncan’s bubble championship either. That’s right. I said it! If we’re counting Tim Duncan’s lockout-year championship, then you have to count LeBron’s too.” (via Scoop B Robinson)
As it stands, LAL have statues of Elgin Baylor, Kobe Bryant, Chick Hearn, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Jerry West outside of Crypto.com arena.
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