With LeBron James sidelined for the clash against the Milwaukee Bucks, the Los Angeles Lakers were expected to lose and have their three-game win streak snapped. However, as the LA side continues to fight for a spot in the postseason, Anthony Davis rose to the occasion and elevated his performance. Recording a 34-point, 23-rebound double-double, AD eventually led the Purple & Gold to a thriller double overtime 128-124 win. Shaquille O’Neal was among the many enthusiasts and analysts to laud Davis for the same.
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During the TNT Tuesday postgame show, Shaquille O’Neal expressed his admiration for Anthony Davis and also revealed a story from the time when the latter’s parents requested him to continue criticizing their son.
“He knows how I feel about him… His mother and father came up to me and said, ‘We want you to stay on our boy,’ because, I know what he’s capable of,” O’Neal said.
Further, Shaq disclosed that he had recognized AD’s talents during his stint with the New Orleans side. The TNT analyst also lauded the Lakers big man for keeping his word and performing exceptionally well amidst their fight to clinch a playoff spot.
“When he was with New Orleans and the numbers he was putting up, that’s when it was a new flash for me like this guy can do this every night. Sometime he’s up, sometime he’s down… Like he said, they are in a dogfight. When we put a guy like that in a dogfight he’s gonna perform just like that,” Shaq said.
While AD was showered with praise from Shaq, the latter decided to not include the nine-time All-Star in the prestigious “The Big Alliance”. Just a few hours before the compliments, the Hall-Of-Famer reasoned that the former Kentucky Wildcat wasn’t eligible for the elite group as he was a forward and not a center.
“AD is not a big man, he’s a power forward. Don’t do that,” Shaq told Candace Parker.
Whether or not Davis is part of this list, he has had a successful career – a championship, four All-NBA selections, four All-Defensive selections, three block titles. This season, Davis has been quite productive on both ends of the floor, averaging 24.7 points, 12.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 2.2 blocks per game, per NBA.com.
