NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal has no faith in his former team, the Los Angeles Lakers. His doubt that the team will make the playoffs is so high, according to USA Today, that he has promised to dress like former professional wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin.
Earlier this week, while the Inside the NBA crew discussed the Lakers upcoming game against the Memphis Grizzlies, Dillon Brooks
, who plays for the Grizzlies, appeared at the game in an apparent homage to Austin’s look—black vest with no shirt and ripped jean shorts.As the cameras showed Brooks walking into the stadium, O’Neal and his colleagues started teasing Brooks about his look. One of the co-hosts asked the former center, “Shaq, how much they gotta pay you to wear an outfit like that?”
Shaq’s response: “If the Lakers make the playoffs, I’ll wear that on the last show.”
It looks like Shaq can keep the leather vest in the closet if the Lakers continue at their current pace.
After Shaq’s promise, the Lakers lost to the Grizzlies 121-109 and sit at the 12th spot in a competitive Western Conference. The team’s chances don’t look bright as it heads into the season’s final stretch. Recently, the team broke up its highly touted Big 3 by trading Russell Westbrook to the Utah Jazz. The team’s superstar, LeBron James, is currently out with a foot injury and is expected to miss the next several weeks. Anthony Davis, the team’s star center, can’t stay healthy. After winning the championship in 2020, the Lakers have not been back to the title game and missed the playoffs last season as well.