Shaquille O’Neal is among the most prominent voices in the NBA world. While he may get into spats with every center who exists, his commentary is often on point and honest. With a 17-year-long career, Shaq also understands what goes on behind the scenes in a team. As a result, his appearance and subsequent comments about a wildcard contender in the East made waves recently. With a fair share of controversies and feuds with teammates himself, Shaq is a safe bet to know what goes on in a locker room.

So, what caused Shaquille O’Neal’s comments about the Atlanta Hawks? And how do the Lakers tie into this?

Shaquille O’Neal uncovers the truth about Atlanta

The root source of the contention in Atlanta has all been linked to their star PG. After a miracle run all the way to the Conference Finals in 2021, the Hawks have stuttered. However, Trae Young has been phenomenal.

As a result, reports of simmering tension between player and coach were all over the news over the course of the season. In the end, the Hawks front office decided to fire coach Nate McMillan and hire defensive ace, Quinn Snyder. Since then, the team has been markedly better.

Now, Shaq has come out with ideas about why that must be. “A lot of times when you wanna win and everybody’s not on the same page, it can cause some friction.” Friction between teammates due to wanting to win is nothing new.

The game’s greats, from Michael Jordan to Kobe Bryant, all suffered from this. The relentless drive to win can ruffle some feathers. Ultimately, if Trae can follow in their footsteps, perhaps Atlanta can look at this as part of the growing pains that any star goes through.

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Speaking of Kobe and footsteps, however – is a change in scenery on the boards for Trae Young? The tension in Atlanta doesn’t seem it will help, either.

Is Trae going to the Lakers?

After another disappointing first-round exit, rumors started swirling in – Trae Young could be on the move. If the right deal presented itself, Young was not untouchable.

After a mediocre postseason by D’Angelo Russell, the Lakers could be in the market for a star PG. The Lakers have held preliminary discussions about a trade for Trae, and the sniper would fit in well with a team lacking shooting.

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Trae, a LA native, was heavily inspired by Kobe, so a move to the Lakers would be a natural progression of his fandom. Where do you think Trae ends up at the start of the season? Let us know in the comments!