SUMMARY
- Shaquille O'Neal and the Lakers won three consecutive titles together.
- However, Shaq claimed that Phil Jackson predicted the Lakers would play agains the Pacers even before the 2000 NBA Playoffs could start.
Shaquille O’Neal is a man of many stories and many more achievements in life. As an NBA player, he was arguably the most dominant star the world ever got to witness on the floor. From four NBA championships, a couple of MVPs, and multiple All-Star and All-NBA selections, his resume stands above the thousands that have contributed their time in the league. But his tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers was what stood out the most.
Recently, Big Diesel spoke about his first championship season on The Big Podcast. Shaq had an interesting story that might convince you the NBA is scripted. Fans have already found reasons to believe that every game is rigged. But there is no evidence to prove that their claims are real. However, O’Neal’s recent comments have raised a few eyebrows about one of the biggest sports organizations in the world.
Fans react to Shaquille O’Neal’s bombshell of a suggestion
Shaquille O’Neal revealed a story involving Phil Jackson and Gary Vetti making a huge prediction during the 2000 NBA Playoffs. He said, “True story, and I never told this story. In the first round, first championship… I forget who we’re playing. I hear Phil Jackson tell Gary Vetti, ‘Hey, get us some hotels in Indiana, ’cause that’s who we’re going to play in the finals.’ This is like before Game 1 and the finals. And it didn’t hit me until we got to Indiana.”
I believe shaq.
The nba is 100% scripted.
They don’t even try to hide it anymore
They probably decide this shit during the off-season when they have their owners only meetings
Remember it’s a buisness first, entertainment 2nd, competition dead last.
— Lebron ,AD Good. Lakers are bad And jokic is FAT (@IDAIKTco) May 15, 2024
Always telling truth in a joke.
— A Walls (@ArthurWall531) May 16, 2024
Jackson’s comments felt odd considering that the Lakers hadn’t even played their first game in the playoffs at that point. He added, “I don’t know, I’m just telling you what I heard the man say. We haven’t even played one game yet and they were back in the meetings like, ‘Yeah, get us some hotel rooms in Indiana. I don’t want to stay in Indiana. I want to stay in the outskirts of Indiana.'”
However, Shaq seemed to have had a cheeky smirk on his face the entire time while narrating the story. Fans commented on social media saying, “I believe Shaq. The NBA is 100% scripted. They don’t even try to hide it anymore.” Another fan added, “Always telling truth in a joke.” But it is possible that Jackson simply thought the Lakers, who had Shaq and Kobe Bryant on the roster were simply the best team around and that the Pacers were the favorites out of the Eastern Conference.
Shaquille O’Neal’s run with the Lakers was movie-like
Whatever the story entails, the Lakers wound up winning the NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers that season. LA closed out the series in six games against a roster that featured Reggie Miller, Jalen Rose, Chris Mullin, and Mark Jackson. The Lakers eventually won two more titles while creating an incredible storyline that future documentaries and movies could take inspiration from.
Shaq has some thoughts on Kobe’s comments. pic.twitter.com/vZhPiz7H2c
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 28, 2019
Unfortunately, the Lakers duo split in 2004 as Bryant and O’Neal had different goals. Bryant wanted to prove to the world that he could win without Shaq, and the latter was simply preferred by the alpha on every team. Coach Jackson also left for one season after Shaq departed. However, he returned as their head coach in 2005 and won two more titles in 2009 and 2010. Shaq and Kobe went down in history as the greatest NBA duo ever, a benchmark that every other duo in the NBA is judged upon.