Lakers News: Shaquille O'Neal Makes Surprising, Honest Reveal About Time In LA

Los Angeles Lakers legend and champion Shaquille O’Neal makes surprising reveal about his time in the purple and gold.

June 12, 2002; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; (left to right) Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal hold trophies after winning the championship in Game 4 of the NBA Finals at The Meadowlands. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports / Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY via Ima

Los Angeles Lakers legend and three-time champion with the franchise Shaquille O'Neal had made some interesting comments prior to Game 2 of the 2024 NBA Finals.

O'Neal, now a broadcaster for Turner Sports, was discussing the power dynamic of the Boston Celtics duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and he said he wasn't the best player on the Lakers champions teams from 2000-02.

"In my Lakers runs, I wasn't the best player on the team, I knew that, but I knew I was the most dominant," O'Neal said on NBA TV. "So I knew my role, I knew what I had to do, I wasn't worried about usless titles. If these two young gentlemen are worried about useless titles...not only will it affect this game, but they will lose the series."

"In my Lakers' runs, I wasn't the best player on the team, I knew that... If these two young gentleman are worried about useless titles...not only will it effect this game, but they will lose the series." @SHAQ on Jason Kidd's recent comments about the The Jays pic.twitter.com/uKZEuV52eG

— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 9, 2024

Now, the numbers in the Lakers dynasty tell a different story. O'Neal was a dominant force throughout those runs, and the numbers tell us all we need to know. In three consecutive finals, O'Neal was named Finals MVP while averaging 35.9 points, 15.2 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in 15 games.

According to Shaq, Kobe Bryant was the best player on the team. He didn't mention him directly, but we're going to go out on a limb and suspect he's referring to Bryant. There are no three titles in a row without Bryant; Shaq knows that, and so do smart basketball fans.

Bryant's final numbers don't jump off the page compared to Shaq, averaging 22.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 5.1 assists from 2000-02. Nonetheless, he was pivotal and served as a 1B, at least to Shaq's 1A. However, at certain times, they'd switch with ease.

O'Neal was undoubtedly the most dominant player, and one could argue Kobe was the best player on the team from a skill position and on both sides of the ball.

One thing is certain: these two are arguably the best duo in the sport and made history like none other.

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