In his eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, Shaquille O’Neal made an unmistakable impact on the franchise. He resurrected it upon his arrival in 1996 after it had been dormant for several years, and he teamed with Kobe Bryant to bring it three straight NBA championships in the early 2000s.
O’Neal was also arguably the biggest personality the game has ever seen. He was a one-man marketing conglomerate, and even a decade after his retirement, he remains a household name across pop culture.
This year’s Lakers seem to have a real shot at winning it all. But when asked who will take home the Larry O’Brien Trophy at the end of this season, he went with a questionable choice: the Dallas Mavericks (h/t Lakers Daily).
Dropping predictions for the NBA season with Wemby, Giddey, and Shaq 🔮
Which take do you think is on 🎯? pic.twitter.com/flYhxuyJE3
— NBA 2K (@NBA2K) October 17, 2023
The Mavs didn’t even reach the play-in tournament last season despite trading for Kyrie Irving and pairing him with Luka Doncic. They have only marginally improved on paper for this season, and thus a world championship seems a long shot.
Given how much O’Neal loves to play the role of court jester, one has to wonder if he is really picking the Mavs to win the NBA title, or if he’s just looking to tickle some feathers.