Shaquille O’Neal has revealed that he is “upset” with the Los Angeles Lakers, his former team.
O’Neal won three Championships with the Lakers, the NBA’s most successful franchise in the last five decades. He is regarded as one of the most dominant players the league has ever seen.
He has a statue outside Crypto.com Arena and is an integral part of the Lakers’ esteemed history. He remains one of the NBA’s most recognisable figures and was part of the well-renowned NBA on TNT show.
He recently explained that he is upset with the team after momentous news dropped earlier in the offseason.
Shaquille O’Neal ‘upset’ that he received nothing when the Lakers were sold
The Lakers made headlines recently when they were sold to Mark Walter, who owns the Los Angeles Dodgers in the MLB, for a reported $10 billion. LA have been owned by the Buss family since 1979, but has now cashed in on the family business.
Speaking on The Big Podcast, O’Neal explained that he is upset that he received nothing following the sale.
He said, “You know, I’m a little upset. The Lakers got sold for $10 billion, and I ain’t getting no dually, I ain’t getting no brand escalade, I ain’t getting nothing.”
The Lakers aren’t the Lakers without O’Neal. After joining the Orlando Magic, he brought the franchise its first NBA title since 1988, setting the stage for a dominant era through the early 00s and early 10s.
Most of NBA history can be told through the Lakers. Almost all of the NBA’s all-time greats have suited up in purple and gold, including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, who broke the NBA scoring record with the team.
But without the success of O’Neal, it’s hard to argue they would be worth the $10 billion they were sold for.
O’Neal continued, “It was Magic, me, then Kobe. Can I get something? Can I get a cheque for like, $50 million?”
LA Lakers are on the verge of upsetting both LeBron James and Luka Doncic this offseason
It’s not only past superstars that the Lakers have upset.
James is in trade rumours after they set a 2027 target for free agents, despite James declaring that his priority is winning the championship this season.
Meanwhile, they allowed Luka Doncic’s friend Dorian Finney-Smith to leave with a sour taste, despite the Slovenian only being under contract for one more season.
It’s been a messy offseason so far in LA. Their roster moves and willingness to sacrifice two seasons of Doncic and James may lead to them fumbling one of the most star-studded pairings in NBA history.