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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – JUNE 12: Kobe Bryant, Lindsey Hunter and Shaquille O’Neal of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrate following Game Four of the NBA Finals against the New Jersey Nets on June 12, 2002 at Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Sporting News via Getty Images via Getty Images)
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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – JUNE 12: Kobe Bryant, Lindsey Hunter and Shaquille O’Neal of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrate following Game Four of the NBA Finals against the New Jersey Nets on June 12, 2002 at Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Sporting News via Getty Images via Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the most celebrated franchises in the NBA. With an astonishing total of 17 NBA championships, they have a massive following. Moreover, some iconic players have donned purple and gold.
One of the more memorable pairs in the Lakers is probably the duo of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. They were the last team to complete a three-peat in the NBA. However, a bad joke got one of the players traded before this success.
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Van Axel came into the league in 1993 as the 37th overall pick by the Lakers. At the time, the purple and gold were looking at rebuilding. Hence, Exel took the starting role immediately and even earned All-Rookie Second team honors. He stayed with the Lakers until 1998, after which he was traded to the Denver Nuggets.
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Lakers Kobe Bryant bumps chests with Shaquille O’Neal after O’Neal got fouled scoring in the first half during the First Round of the Western Conference Playoffs at Staples Center Sunday April 21, 2002.Trailblazer Damon Stoudamire looks on from the left. Lakers won 9587. (Photo by Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
However, the reason behind that trade is a classic case of bad timing.
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Why Van Exel lost his chance for titles with Kobe Bryant and O’Neal
In 1998, the Lakers were going through a bad series with the Utah Jazz. They were only one game away from being swept and the atmosphere was very intense. In an attempt to lighten up the mood, Exel decided to crack a joke.
When in the huddle with the team, he screamed ‘Cancun’, indicating he was ready for vacation.
Likewise, this did not sit well with the team: especially with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal, who were hungry to win a title. Even NBA legend Jerry West was left shocked as he had never seen anything like this. Van Exel still claims it was a joke.
That was enough for him to be traded away to Denver.
Two years after his trade, the rise of O’Neal and Bryant took place. They dominated the NBA for three straight years and went on to achieve a three-peat. Despite being an All-Star in 1998, Exel did not get any remorse for his attempts to lighten the mood.
Exel lasted in the league for 8 more years, playing his last game with the San Antonio Spurs in 2006. Surprisingly, Van Exel also held the record for one of the biggest fines in NBA history after he shoved a referee into the scorer’s table.
At the time, he was suspended for seven games and fined $25,000 for his actions.
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Exel would have been a solid piece for the Lakers as he put up career averages of 14.4 points and 6.6 assists per game. Do you think the Lakers could have won more titles if Exel had not been traded? Let us know in the comments below.
