“This is one of the hardest franchises I had to play for” - Shaquille O'Neal opens up on his stint as an LA Lakers player 

Four-time NBA champion Shaquille O'Neal has revealed that the LA Lakers are one of the toughest franchises that he has had to play for.

O'Neal signed with the Purple and Gold in the summer of 1996 as a free agent. He played for the franchise until 2004, winning three back-to-back championships between 2000 and 2002.

In a recent interview with TMZ, the 49-year-old described the hardships of representing the Lakers, saying:

"This is one of the hardest franchises I had to play for. I remember when I came here Jerry West said, 'Look, I know you do movies, I know you do rap albums and all that.' He made me look up and I had seen Wilt and Kareem, he said at the end of this you can either be a bust or you could be a legend."

O'Neal went on to become a legend in the NBA, creating history while playing alongside the late Kobe Bryant. The duo formed a dominant partnership, winning three titles together and making four NBA Finals appearances in a row.

O'Neal was named the Finals MVP on three occasions. He also won his only MVP award as a Laker in 2000.

---

Shaquille O'Neal believes the struggling LA Lakers can make the NBA playoffs this year

Shaquille O'Neal has criticized the current LA Lakers team several times for their disappointing season. Despite acquiring Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony in the offseason, the Lakers are five games under the .500 mark (26-31), with the All-Star break just around the corner.

When asked by TMZ about his views on the LA Lakers' struggles this year, O'Neal said:

"They definitely will make the playoffs."

He continued:

"The problem is, they're older. The young guys are coming at their head. So they got to turn it up from the beginning. You see they always have these miraculous (comebacks), they're down by 15, and they cut it short. They got to come out with energy, I think if they come out with energy, they can put these young guys away."

O'Neal is confident that the Lakers will make the playoffs but has ruled them out of the championship race. It will be interesting to see how far his former team goes this season as it will be an uphill task from here on.