"No excuses" - Shaquille O'Neal is not willing to let LeBron James off the hook despite a foot injury
Shaquille O’Neal will not give LeBron James a pass if the LA Lakers are eliminated by the Golden State Warriors in the semifinals of the Western Conference playoffs.
According to Shaq, every player is carrying niggles of some sort at this point in the season and James should not use that as an excuse.
“Everybody’s hurting at this time. No excuses. If you don’t win, you already know what we’re gonna say. Hurt groin, hurt foot, everybody’s hurting. If you can step your bu** on that court, then you’re supposed to play at a high level. Period.com.”
(28:00 mark)
LeBron James injured his right foot in February against the Dallas Mavericks. He missed the Lakers’ next 13 games before returning on March 26 against the Chicago Bulls. The Lakers have only kept him out to manage his load since coming back from said injury.
The NBA’s all-time scoring leader, however, is a staple in the Lakers’ injury report. He’s always been either questionable or probable due to right foot soreness.
James’ foot doesn’t seem to be bothering him in the playoffs. He had a superb first-round series against the Memphis Grizzlies and was instrumental in the LA Lakers’ Game 1 win over the Golden State Warriors.
According to Shaquille O’Neal, LA’s chances of beating the defending NBA champions will not depend on LeBron James, though.
Here’s what Shaq had to say about the Lakers-Warriors series (from the 27:25 mark):
“It all depends on one thing for the Lakers. Which AD [Davis] will show up? The other day, he was dominant without scoring. He has been really good on the defensive end. If he can throw some points into that, I will go with the Lakers."
A few minutes later, the Hall of Famer changed his mind regarding the winner of said matchup:
“I’m gonna go with Golden State ‘cause I know what they bring. They have a switch. Sometimes that switch don’t work, but when that switch is on, whhhh. Guess what? The law of averages. Jordan Poole ain’t gonna be off this whole playoffs.
“Imma say four, I meant six, I’m sorry.”
LeBron James and the LA Lakers could take a 2-0 lead on Thursday night
LeBron James and the LA Lakers barely held on for a 117-112 win over the Golden State Warriors in Game 1. The defending champs launched a searing 14-0 run that nearly sent the Lakers tumbling to a humiliating loss.
A timely shot by D’Angelo Russell and free throws by James and Dennis Schroder were just enough to keep the surging Warriors at bay.
The Lakers won the series opener as their strengths prevailed over the Warriors’ strongest points. LA crushed Golden State in points in the paint and free throws. LeBron James and Anthony Davis were huge reasons why LA had the advantage in those categories.
The Golden State Warriors, on the other hand, shot 21-53 from behind the arc. They usually come out as victors when they hit that many threes. The paint production and free throws were simply too much to overcome though.
Both teams will try to impose their will in Game 2. Whoever does that will likely win on Thursday night.
Also read: Warriors vs. Lakers: What to expect in this epic matchup between Stephen Curry and LeBron James