Shaquille O’Neal just backtracked on his take from Wednesday. After the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the New Orleans Pelicans in the play-in tournament on Wednesday, O’Neal said that he didn’t fancy his former team’s chances against the defending champions Denver Nuggets in the first round. As the Nuggets have beaten LA eight times in a row, this take didn’t seem too strange. However, he seems to have changed his opinion in just a matter of days, which will be good news for LeBron fans. 

During the Inside the NBA show, Ernie Johnson asked Shaq about which team among the two will win the series. In response, Shaq said, “Lakers. Lakers want all the smoke.” To back up his answer, Big Aristotle explained Anthony Davis’ skills that can level up the Lakers’ game. Interestingly, all his other co-hosts chose Denver as the winner of the series. Maybe O’Neal’s history with the franchise came into play for his answer. Nevertheless, Shaq’s prediction might be a good sign for LeBron James and Co.

On Wednesday, O’Neal had claimed that if both teams came in healthy, the Lakers would find it tough to change last year’s result. Denver swept the Lakers in the Conference Finals and won all three regular-season games this year as well. Going back to the 2022-23 regular season, the Nuggets are on an eight-game winning streak against the Purple and Gold. And another sweep would have probably meant the end of James’ tenure in LA. With him having a player option this offseason, there are already rumors of LeBron’s next move.

His son, Bronny, has also declared for the NBA Draft and LeBron’s wish has always been to play with his son. Even if the Lakers manage to eliminate the Nuggets and go on to win the championship, there is no guarantee of where King James will be playing ball next season. But avoiding a first-round sweep is reportedly essential for the 4x champion to stay in the City of Angels.

Shaq feared for the Lakers just a couple of days ago

In his latest claim, O’Neal seemed to put more emphasis on Davis’ game. Even in his previous comment, Shaq mentioned AD. He said that while he has faith in Davis’ game, winning against the Joker won’t be easy. While James still has at least a few more years in the league, a win or loss against the Denver Nuggets could have an impact on the champ’s run with the Lakers.

“It’s going to be a tough task. AD has gotta play out of this world. But even then, they don’t have an answer for The Joker. Denver plays with so much energy. They are the defending champs. They definitely gonna be ready,” O’Neal had said Wednesday. 

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With O’Neal’s prediction changing in a couple of days, don’t be surprised if he picks the Nuggets to win the next time he’s on TV. While everyone can make their picks, this is poised to be one of the best first-round matchups in recent memory.