The Western Conference is keeping the excitement alive for the remainder of the regular season. While the East standings are pretty much settled, there’s a fierce battle going on in the West. Teams from the third-seeded Lakers down to the 8th-seeded Timberwolves are all still jockeying for seeding for the postseason. Amidst the speculations regarding the first-round playoff matchups, Shaquille O’Neal has delivered a verdict favoring his former franchise.
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Shaq seems to have caught the Shannon Sharpe fever. The NFL legend’s “Lakers in 5” predictions have been a rage for the past few years. When the playoffs start to roll around, Unc breaks out a new rhyme for the Lakers’ rivals.
While doing the Halftime Report for the Warriors vs Suns game, Adam Lefkoe delved into the potential matchups. The Lakers are currently the third seed with a 48-31 record, whereas their city rivals are sixth with 46-32. Lefkoe said that the Clippers could be a potential first-round matchup for the Lakers and asked for Shaq’s prediction.
Lefkoe believes that if Kawhi Leonard remains available in the postseason, the Clippers might be a tough team to beat. However, Shaq doesn’t see them as a threat at all. When asked who he’d take to win the potential series, he said, “Stop it,” implying that the Clippers won’t be able to stand against the Lakers at all.
“WFD… Whoopee-freakin’-doo. Lakers all day,” Shaq said. The big fella had the panel chuckling with his response. Then he channeled his inner Shannon Sharpe to put out a “Lakers in 5” rhyme. He said, “In the words of Shannon Sharpe, ‘Jive, Clive, Lakers in 5.'”
"Whoopee-freakin'-doo" 🤣
Shaq took a note out of Shannon Sharpe's book talking about a Lakers-Clippers first round matchup pic.twitter.com/e6il3JCJc5
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) April 9, 2025
Shaq’s prediction rhymes might not be as polished as the NFL legend’s, but he has a lot of faith in the Lakers, especially if they end up going against the Clippers. Tonight, they’ve suffered a minor setback with their loss against the team with the best record in the league. The Oklahoma City Thunder (65-14) defeated the Lakers 136-120 at home.
The Clippers, on the other hand, have been on a great run, winning 17 of their last 20 games. Tonight, they are facing the Spurs and are likely walking out with a win. The Lakers will have an edge against the Clippers as they’ve won three of the four matchups this season. Regardless, they’ll be prepared to give LeBron and Co. a run for their money in the postseason.
