A new NBA season is approaching, and in the meantime, teams continue to fine-tune their rosters with their major goals in sight. This is particularly true for the Los Angeles Lakers, a historic franchise and second most successful team in history, who, with an inspired LeBron James, aim to secure another championship. To help them in this quest, basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal has offered valuable advice regarding Anthony Davis and Austin Reaves.
JJ Redick’s debut as head coach of the Lakers remains a big question mark in terms of how he will approach the team’s strategy. There is also uncertainty about how he will devise the game plan around LeBron James, who is set to begin his 22nd professional season, now with the unique aspect of playing alongside his son, Bronny James.
Passing and court vision are two of King James‘ standout qualities, along with his demonstrated athleticism and scoring ability throughout his career. Perhaps the closest parallels can be drawn with one of the greatest players in the history of the sport who also wore the purple and gold: Magic Johnson.
The California team will aim to overcome the lackluster performance of the 2023-24 season, where they finished in seventh place, necessitating participation in the Play-In Tournament, which they managed to advance from. However, they were decisively defeated by the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs, with a series result of 4-1.
LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers during game four of the Western Conference First Round Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena on April 27, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.
Last season, the Lakers‘ archrival, the Boston Celtics, secured their 18th championship with the help of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, pushing the Lakers to second place. This year, led by James and company, the Lakers will once again pursue the top spot as the NBA’s all-time leaders in championships.
Shaq’s key advice for LeBron
A trusted voice in Lakers history is undoubtedly the multiple-time champion Shaquille O’Neal. Therefore, the former Magic and Celtics star, among others, took it upon himself to advise James on his situation with Anthony Davis and Austin Reaves.
In a recent episode of The Big Podcast with Shaq, the Hall of Famer stated: “If I was LeBron, being that I already have all the records, I would pass it to AD. I would demand AD — because listen, LeBron can still do what he do, but, ‘I don’t need to have the ball all the time. I don’t need to score all the points. So, AD I need you to score all the points. Austin Reaves, you can be No. 2. I can just be the old Magic Johnson-style point guard and keep everybody involved and just keep this thing going.’”
Anthony Davis #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers walks back to his bench while playing the Denver Nuggets in the first quarter during game five of the Western Conference First Round Playoffs at Ball Arena on April 29, 2024 in Denver, Colorado.
Los Angeles Lakers season 2024-25 debut
The Los Angeles Lakers will open their season against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday, October 22, at Crypto Arena. This matchup will feature LeBron James going head-to-head with Anthony Edwards at the start of the 2024-25 NBA season.
