Shaquille O'Neal Has Honest Message For The Lakers
SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 24: Shaquille O'Neal attends 2019 NBA Awards at Barker Hangar on June 24, 2019 in Santa Monica, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/WireImage)
Getty
With a 106-100 loss to the New York Knicks on Tuesday night, the Los Angeles Lakers dropped below .500 (9-10) on the year.
Clearly the preseason title-favorites are struggling to get things going in the 2021-22 season. After last night's defeat, the Western Conference squad has now dropped five of its last seven games.
During the NBA on TNT postgame show, former Los Angeles superstar Shaquille O'Neal shared his thoughts on the Lakers' struggles.
Getting off to a slow start, the Lakers went down by more than a 20-point deficit early on in the game. Even without franchise leader LeBron James, team was able to storm back in the second half -- but it wasn't enough to claim a victory.
Shaq said the veteran roster is too overconfident and casual when taking the court.
"They think that because of the veterans that they have and all the experience they have -- they think they can turn it on," Shaq explained. "But if you're gonna have championship aspirations... This is the mentality. Period.
"Beat the teams you're supposed to beat. Stay dominate at home and stay above .500 on the road. You've gotta have that from Day 1."
With LeBron returning from his one-game suspension, the Lakers will look to bounce back with a win over the Indianapolis Pacers tonight at 7 p.m. ET.
