The Rui Hachimura trade by the Los Angeels Lakers was one of the first big trades before the 2023 NBA Trade Deadline. The deal drew a lot of reactions from fans and analysts, some of which were good. One of the negative reactions, though, came from a former LA legend in Shaquille O'Neal. Shaq dissed Hachimura, essentially calling him a nobody.
Well, the good news is that Shaq has seemingly apologized about the Rui Hachimura situation⌠sort of. The Lakers legend went on his podcast to talk about the former Wizards former. He ended his spiel by apologizing to Hachimura, but not before inadvertently calling him âRudyâ instead of Rui.
"Let me apologize to Rudy Hachimura. I didn't know who he was because I never watch the Bullets play, but he's a fine role player⌠I now know who you are."
Shaq on new Lakers forward Rui Hachimura
(via The Big Podcast with Shaq)pic.twitter.com/ajhgVfjYBm
â ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) February 17, 2023
Well, Shaq's got the spirit, at least?
Rui Hachimura isn't necessarily an All-Star caliber player (right now, at least). However, he brings a specific set of skills that help the Lakers this season. His ability to score in bunches and grab rebounds is vital for a team that is a bit lacking in the forward position. So far, he's been a solid addition to the LakeShow.
The Lakers have more or less 20 games to try and salvage this season. It's definitely not going to be easy: this is a new team, and chemistry must be built basically on the fly. However, there are some encouraging signs from this roster. For them to reach the Play-In Tournament, they'll need to make these âencouraging signsâ a lot more consistent. They have good pieces to make a solid push. As long as they make it to the next stage, anything is possible.
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