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Shaquille O’Neal Posts Epic Photo of His Preferred Lakers Starting 5

Published by
Robert Marvi

Hall of Fame big man Shaquille O’Neal may have played just eight of his 19 NBA seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, but the Purple and Gold still flows through his veins.

On Monday, he took to his Instagram account to offer his opinion on what he thinks the best Lakers starting five would be.

O’Neal notably placed two centers in his starting lineup, including himself and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, six-time MVP and six-time champion.

His starting small forward would be LeBron James, which is sure to ignite a debate, as James has played only one season in Los Angeles. Some would say that isn’t enough yet to be considered the greatest small forward in team history.

Still, as James is arguably the second or third best player in league history, it doesn’t come as too much of a shock.

To round out the starting five, O’Neal included his former teammate Kobe Bryant as well as former Lakers team president Magic Johnson.

While with the Lakers, O’Neal helped lead the squad to three straight NBA championships, winning the Finals MVP each time.

He won his first and only league MVP in 1999-2000 when he averaged 29.7 points, 13.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 3.0 blocked shots per game.

Robert Marvi

Robert is a native of Santa Monica, Calif., and a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara. He has been an avid NBA fan since he was a little kid in the mid '90s and fell in love with the Nick Van Exel-led Lakers teams. He truly cherishes the Kobe Bryant-era of Lakers basketball and the five world championships that came with it, and is looking forward to the team's next NBA title.

Published by
Robert Marvi

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