The Lakers were expected to take control against a weakened 76ers team, but things didn’t go as planned. They trailed 73-57 by halftime and ended up losing 118-104, bringing their season record to 26-19. NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal didn’t shy away from sharing his thoughts on their disappointing performance during a recent appearance on TNT.
Shaquille O’Neal criticized the Lakers for not playing with enough energy. Even though they looked stronger than the 76ers on paper, they didn’t perform well.
The Lakers started strong with a 17-9 lead, but things changed when Coach JJ Redick put Bronny James on the court. By the end of the first half, the score was tied at 25-25, and that’s when the Lakers started to struggle.
"They're not playing with any effort, and they're not playing hard" 🗣️
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) January 29, 2025
Shaq calls it has he sees it with the Lakers down 16 at the half 👀 pic.twitter.com/TwWJvfT0v3
O’Neal didn’t directly blame Bronny but pointed out that missing Anthony Davis, who left early with an injury, hurt the team. Still, he believed the Lakers should have done better. He said, “They’re not playing with any effort, and they’re not playing hard.”
Shaquille O’Neal urges LeBron to step back & let AD lead
Shaquille O’Neal recently shared his thoughts on the Lakers’ situation. He thinks LeBron James should step back and let Anthony Davis lead the team’s scoring. Instead of scoring all the time, Shaq believes LeBron should focus on passing and helping his teammates, like Magic Johnson did.
O’Neal proposed, “If I were LeBron, with all those records under my belt, I’d be looking to pass to AD. I’d push for AD to get the ball because, honestly, LeBron can still do his thing, but he doesn’t have to carry the scoring load all by himself.”
