The Los Angeles Lakers have put together some of the best teams in NBA history, one of which won a three-peat two decades ago.
Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant led the Lakers to three consecutive championships between 2000-2002, recording the franchise’s first three-peat of the Los Angeles era. Although the two superstars had loud feuds during their time as teammates, O’Neal has long been emphasizing the greatness of his partnership with Bryant — and the early 2000s Purple and Gold teams in general.
Now, the 50-year-old has said his three-peat Lakers would come out victorious in matchups with the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls and the current Golden State Warriors dynasty:
O’Neal added his Purple and Gold “would have let Stephen Curry drive to the basket and I would have laid his little ass out a couple times. Period.”
The former center’s comments come after Warriors star Draymond Green said he would love to match up with O’Neal, claiming he would be able to “get a stop” against him.
O’Neal has joined Robert Horry in stating the early 2000s Lakers’ superiority over Curry’s Warriors. Horry recently tweeted that L.A. would have beaten Golden State — predicting O’Neal would have “fouled everyone out.”
O’Neal’s son Shareef works out with Lakers
O’Neal’s son, Shareef, reportedly agreed to work out with the Lakers ahead of the 2022 NBA Draft. The 22-year-old declared for the draft after an injury-riddled college career, spending one season with UCLA and two with his father’s alma mater, LSU.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!