“The Lakers literally cut their b*lls off”: Shaquille O’Neal’s hilarious jibe at the Anthony Davis trade

NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal had a hilarious take on the Anthony Davis trade to the LA Lakers.

Trading Anthony Davis was no easy task for Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka and company. During his stay in New Orleans, The Brow had publicly expressed his desire to be traded, leading to Commissioner Silver fining him $50,000, complicating matters for the future.

On the other hand, the Lakers were looking for a superstar caliber player to pair with LeBron James. AD’s name was at the top of his list, which he also wanted to play for purple and gold.

However, the former NCAA champion’s acrimonious relations with the Pelicans made things difficult.

The Pelicans have agreed to trade Anthony Davis to the Lakers for Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart and three first-round picks, including the No. 4 overall pick in the 2019 Draft, league sources told The Associated Press. ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 15, 2019

Nonetheless, GM Pelinka and company accomplished the herculean task, but had to part with a lot of their talent and draft picks. Fortunately, all the sacrifices paid off. In just his first season with the Lakers, Davis managed to lead the franchise to a championship in the Orlando Bubble.

Also read: “But it was Anthony Davis, so there was no shame in that”: Lonzo Ball does not hold a grudge against the LA Lakers for trading him to the New Orleans Pelicans

Before all the celebrations, many expressed doubts about the Lakers agreeing to trade much of their talent for Davis, including four-time champion Shaquille O’Neal.

Shaquille O’Neal’s ‘b*lls’ reference when addressing the Anthony Davis trade.

There is no question that Shaq will always be an integral part of the Lakers organization. The former center played 8 seasons for the purple and gold, winning 3 titles and being the Finals MVP each time. Thus, the Hall of Famer had second thoughts about the trade, not hesitating to poke fun at the Ball family.

By this time, Lonzo Ball had begun to show signs of being a potential star player, trying to live up to his father LaVar Ball’s outrageous high claims. The Chino Hill sensation had generated a lot of excitement even before he made his NBA debut, courtesy of his father.

Thus, when the AD trade fell through, Lonzo was sent to the Pelicans, something Shaq couldn’t resist scoffing at, saying the following.

“Anthony Davis is going to the Lakers,” Big Diesel said. “Yes, they had to give up a lot. They literally had to cut their b*lls off to make this trade.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y98rznOUKnU

Although Davis gave the Lakers a title, his durability remains a concern. On the other hand, Ball improved over time, especially in his ability to shoot and provide assists.

Also read: “Let’s go to New Orleans and do something”: what Brandon Ingram said to Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart after LeBron James, the Lakers traded them for Anthony Davis