"Would probably be 1st" - $20,000,000 worth former Lakers star jokingly calls Shaquille O'Neal greatest Kings player of all time
Former LA Lakers star and three-time NBA champion Rick Fox took to social media and commented on a post that named his former teammate Shaquille O'Neal as the fourth-best player of all-time in Lakers and Miami Heat history.
Fox, who won three championships with O'Neal, also put the Sacramento Kings in the conversation.
The former forward, whose current net worth is $20,000,000, said the Diesel should be fourth best in the other teams he played for after leaving the Heat (the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Phoenix Suns), but added that Shaquille O'Neal would be the best Sacramento Kings player of all time.
"I can make a case he should be 4th for the Celtics, Suns, and cavs as well ~ ok I may be a little bias considering (winning 3 championships together). But where would you place him in those organizations! As a member of the Sacramento Kings organization, he would probably be 1st," Rick Fox tweeted.
Fox tried to mock the Kings, who were the Lakers' biggest rivals during the three-peat run (2000–2002).
Fox and O'Neal faced Sacramento in the opening round of the 2000 NBA playoffs, in the Western Conference semi-finals in 2001 and in the Western Conference finals in 2002, winning all three series en route to three straight titles. O'Neal was a dominant force for the Lakers in all three series.
Rick Fox and Shaquille O'Neal spent seven years together in the Lakers (1997-2004) and both left the team in the summer of 2004, following the loss to the Detroit Pistons in the NBA Finals, which was the end of an era for that Lakers' team.
Shaquille O'Neal compared current Lakers star to Rick Fox
Rick Fox was an all-around forward who became a key part of the Lakers' dynasty in the early 1900s with his two-way play. He could play both small and power forward (in small ball lineups), offering extra weapons to coach Phil Jackson.
A few months ago, Shaquille O'Neal talked about Lakers' forward Rui Hachimura, who joined the team prior to the Februray trade deadline and had a key role in the franchise's run to the Western Conference Finals.
O'Neal went on to compare Hachimura to Fox in terms of his playing style and how much he contributed to the Lakers' deep playoff run.
"I didn’t know who he was because I never watch the Bullets play, but he’s a fine role player. He’s giving me Rick Fox vibes. Tough, pretty good defender, all the little stuff he’s doing, he does a great job. He doesn’t overdo it," Shaquille O'Neal said in his 'The Big podcast with Shaq' podcast', via Lakers Daily.
Rui Hachimura averaged 11.2 ppg and 4.9 rpg last season, splitting between the Lakers and Washington Wizards. The 17-time NBA champions rewarded him with a three-year deal this offseason, worth $51 million.
Meanwhile, Rick Fox finished his career with averages of 9.6 ppg, 3.8 rpg and 2.8 apg. He spent 13 years in the NBA and played 930 games.