The Los Angeles Lakers have a rich history with a ton of Hall of Fame players dating back to the 1947 season with George Mikan. An organization that prides itself in drafting and acquiring all-time players is a trait that makes the Lakers one of the most historic franchises in professional sports.
Shaquille O’Neal signed with the Lakers during the 1996 NBA offseason and wound up being one of the greatest centers that ever wore the Purple & Gold. After winning three consecutive NBA championships with star guard Kobe Bryant from 2000-02, the 15-time All-Star has rightfully solidified himself on the NBA 75th Anniversary team and more prestigious recognitions.
The big man took to Twitter to share his thoughts on a post that featured Lakers legends in Wilt Chamberlain, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and himself. The question in the post was to ‘eliminate one Laker from the team’ and O’Neal chose to leave out himself:
Might have to kick myself off this list right here pic.twitter.com/yEoYKmbTmG
— SHAQ (@SHAQ) July 19, 2022
It is hard to guess whether or not O’Neal was being serious or showing humility in his answer to the photo’s question. But his comment has now created a fun conversation for Laker fans to pick one legend to take out of the fantasy five-man lineup.
This is a good problem for the Laker faithful to think about because of how many all-time great players there are in Lakers history. No matter which player O’Neal or anyone else wants to take out from the Tweet, there is no wrong direction to go in to build an all-time Lakers lineup.
Horton-Tucker’s Drew League Appearance Was To ‘Tune Things Up’
As the Lakers are in the process of improving the roster heading into the 2022-23 NBA season, a big part of how the team will look next season is how far the development of the returning players from last season has gone.
Laker fans know what stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis are going to bring to the table when healthy, but players like Lakers young guard Talen Horton-Tucker give fans questions on whether or not his game will be improved heading into his fourth NBA season.
Horton-Tucker recently made an appearance at the Drew League and the 21-year-old did not put up eye-catching stats. However, Horton-Tucker explained that his weekend performance was to ‘tune things up’ with his skillset.
If Horton-Tucker stays with the Lakers despite trade rumors, fans will remain skeptical about his perimeter game and his weak-hand game, which have been skills for him to sharpen since he got into the NBA. Using the Summer to perform at the Drew League, work on individual skills and build team chemistry will be the recipe for success for Horton-Tucker to have a good fourth NBA season.
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