Fridy was a monumental day for the Los Angeles Lakers franchise and the city of Los Angeles, as Staples Center unveiled its eighth statue outside the arena, with this one being dedicated to former Lakers center Shaquille O’Neal.
O’Neal signed with the Lakers in 1996 and spent eight seasons with the franchise. During that span he was named an All-Star seven times, the 1999-00 NBA MVP, and NBA Finals MVP three times as the Lakers won three straight championships from 2000-02.
Several of O’Neal’s former teammates and coaches were at the ceremony to pay tribute to one of the best centers in NBA history. Among the people that spoke at the ceremony were former Lakers head coach Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant.
The trio was the main reason the Lakers were able to win the aforementioned three straight championships, and they were part of the core group that appeared in another NBA Finals with the Lakers before O’Neal was traded to the Miami Heat in 2004.
During his speech, Bryant heaped plenty of praise on his former teammate, via Lakers Nation reporter Serena Winters:
Kobe on Shaq: “Most dominant player I’ve ever seen."
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) March 24, 2017
Bryant went on to thank O’Neal for everything he did for the Lakers franchise and the entire city of Los Angeles:
Kobe to Shaq: "Thank you, I’ve learned so much from you as a player. Everything you’ve done for this city…."
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) March 24, 2017
Kobe continuing to Shaq: “Everything you’ve done for this franchise. Kids, you should know your dad was a bad man."
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) March 24, 2017
O’Neal, who was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016, was named an All-Star 15 times in his 19 NBA seasons. He averaged 23.7 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game in his career.
Regardless of how their time ended together in Los Angeles, O’Neal and Bryant captivated fans by forming one of the greatest duos of all-time. That will be remembered for years and generations to come when people look at the statue of O’Neal that now hangs outside of the Staples Center.