Over the years, the Los Angeles Lakers have had plenty of superstars come through their doors and stand out. Shaquille O’Neal and LeBron James are among those players, and they helped them become champions. Shaq won three championships and Finals MVPs during his time, while LeBron led them to a title with a Finals MVP as well.
Unfortunately, it seems they are not the biggest fan favorites despite their success with the Lakers. Shaq is not seen as one of the top Lakers legends, which is likely connected to his feud with Kobe Bryant. Now, it seems there is a mixed reaction to LeBron even after he just left the team.
Shaquille O’Neal thinks he knows why the Lakers dislike him and LeBron James
Shaq has probably heard from all kinds of Lakers fans over the years, especially the past two decades. He left the team in some bad circumstances because it came from the peak of his feud with Bryant. O’Neal and Bryant got to reconcile at some point, but it left a bad taste in some Lakers fans’ mouths.
When it comes to James, the Lakers fans did embrace him, especially when he led the team to a championship in only his second season with the team. Unfortunately, they could not win the championship again during his stint, which led to a vocal minority resenting him.
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The Lakers now have Luka Doncic on the team, so it is easy to get over James leaving because they have a superstar. However, it does feel a little bit weird because a lot of supporters are not feeling that sad with LeBron leaving, which Shaq can relate to.
“They didn’t love me; they loved Kobe. Listen, this is what we call B.O.B brother, the Business of Basketball. When they get like me, when I’m in charge, I’m a difficult man to deal with. The thing has to be done my way, and people don’t agree with that, so when you get you up out of there, I can kinda understand both sides,” Shaq said about what he felt about the Lakers’ fans not taking a liking to him and LeBron.
James is now playing for the Philadelphia 76ers, which is a team that has a stronger chance of winning the title due to the abundance of star-level talent. It can be a bitter pill to swallow for some Lakers fans, but a lot of them still appreciate LeBron for what he did. They are also well aware that they don’t have to be sad because they still have a mega star on their team.