Shaquille O’Neal admitted he was always the second best player on the Lakers.
Shaquille O’Neal shared some advice for Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown during NBATV’s pregame coverage of the NBA Finals on Sunday night. In doing so, he reflected on his relationship as a teammate with Kobe Bryant during their Los Angeles Lakers’ title runs. He admitted that he was never the best player on the team and had to accept being the second option for them to succeed.
“In my Laker runs, I wasn’t the best player on the team,” O’Neal admitted. “I knew that, but I knew I was the most dominant. So, I knew my role. I knew what I had to do. I wasn’t worried about these useless titles. So if those two young gentlemen are worried about useless titles … it will definitely affect them tonight. … Not only affect this game, but they will lose the series.”
Kobe Bryant & Shaquille O’Neal Celebrate NBA Championship Victory
O’Neal’s advice comes after Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd labeled Brown the Boston Celtics’ best player, last week. “Jaylen’s their best player,” he said after the Game 1 loss. “He did everything, and that’s what your best player does. Just understanding how to play both sides — defense and offense at a high rate — he’s been doing that the whole playoffs.”
Shaq Shares Advice For The Celtics
“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
Despite their success together, O’Neal and Bryant’s relationship on the court eventually deteriorated and the iconic big man left for the Miami Heat. Years later they mended their relationship before Bryant’s tragic passing in 2020. Be on the lookout for further updates on the NBA Playoffs on HotNewHipHop.
Source hotnewhiphop.com
