Shaquille O’Neal in NBA 2K15 trailer: ‘What if I stayed with the Lakers?’ (Video)
As the voice in the latest NBA 2K15 trailer titled “What If”, soon-to-be Hall of Fame center Shaquille O’Neal ponders a questions everyone asks themselves every once in a while: what if Shaq stayed with the Lakers instead of being traded to the Miami Heat?
"“What if? It’s a simple question, but it raises so many more. What if… I had stayed in LA? How many championships could we have won?”"
There are many what-ifs that are pondered throughout NBA history, but this is one of the most interesting due to the many dynamics behind it.
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Would Shaq and Kobe have been able to sustain through their relationship deteriorating over the years? Would Kobe have left in free agency because of Shaq’s presence? Would Phil Jackson have left knowing the Lakers were destined to remain a threat to win a NBA championship behind Shaq and Kobe? If the relationship did sustain, would the duo have won more than three championships?
So many questions that’ll never be answered, but it won’t stop fans from wondering. Depending on who you ask, the duo could’ve won close to six championships. On the other side, people think the duo wouldn’t have lasted due to internal issues that already affected the duo–and team–up until Shaq’s departure following the 2004 NBA Finals loss to the Detroit Pistons.
Regardless, the duo will go down as one of the best in league history, joining the ranks of Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen (Chicago), Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Los Angeles), and others as they secured three consecutive champions from 2000 to 2003 before breaking up.
Here is the full “What If” 2K trailer: