The Los Angeles Lakers kicked off their 2022-23 campaign with a road game against the 2022 champions, the Golden State Warriors. While the Lakers showed some good team play on the court, they lost the game by 123-109. It was intriguing for the fans to see LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook chipping in with 77 points together during the game. However, it was not enough to defeat the Stephen Curry-led Warriors. After the game, Shaquille O’Neal made a bet with his dear friend Charles Barkley about how far the Lakers can go this season.

Shaq and Barkley appeared on TNT’s Inside the NBA Live with a massive fan crowd in the background. The duo discussed how the Lakers performed on the opening night and the factors that led to their defeat against the Warriors.

Shaquille O’Neal could not avoid a tempting wager

Charles Barkley suggested that the Warriors had a comparatively better roster than the Lakers. The 11-time NBA All-Star made a bold claim that led to a wager between him and Shaquille O’Neal. Barkley reckoned that the Los Angeles Lakers roster was not better than the New Orleans Pelicans. O’Neal responded that he was not sure about Barkley’s claims.

READ MORE: ?Mom! I Don?t Make Money! You Can?t Spend Money Like Shaq?s Mom!?: Financially Weak Charles Barkley Was Forced to Be Jealous of Shaquille O?Neal?s Riches During the End of His Career

Further, Charles Barkley said, “I bet you a nice steak dinner that Pelicans are gonna have a better record than the Lakers, you know unless they make a trade.” O’Neal could not ignore the tempting wager as he backed his former team on the show. Shaq said, “Done, You got yourself a deal.”

It seems like Shaquille O’Neal has not lost hope in the Lakers roster yet. The LA Lakers failed to make any major changes on their roster due to salary cap limitations after a disappointing last season. The Lakers had a 33-49 record last season and failed to even make it to the play-ins, finishing 11th in the Western Conference. However, LeBron James and his team would hope to turn things around this season.

Despite a loss on the opening night, there were a lot of positives to take away from the game. LeBron James scored 31 points with 14 rebounds and 8 assists while Anthony Davis put up 27 points and six rebounds. In addition, Russell Westbrook scored 19 points with 11 rebounds and three assists. Kendrick Nun also managed to put up 13 points, helping the Lakers reach the 109 points mark.

Watch This Story: Shaquille O?Neal?s Bizarre Pre-Game Ritual From His Magic Days

However, they still seem to lack the firepower to take down tough opponents. Hopefully, the young bloods at the Lakers will step up and showcase some promising performances during the upcoming encounters.