After reaching the NBA Finals last season, the Dallas Mavericks proved their mettle, despite the loss. They’re currently prepping for the 2024-25 season, adding 4x NBA Champion Klay Thompson to their synergy. The Dallas side is pushing hard for a championship this upcoming season with heavy hopes. But adding Klay probably isn’t enough. This is especially true for Shaquille O’Neal who insists their success depends on Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving playing with consistent synergy. The true power for Mavs relies upon Doncic and Irving delivering a balanced performance in every game. 

In the latest episode of The OGs podcast, O’Neal highlighted, “Give me a consistency of both you guys doing that every night. Then I’ll say you’re scary.” Without this unity, the Mavericks won’t reach their full potential.

Before that, O’Neal highlighted how the Mavs duo’s inability to perform well simultaneously has limited their potential. “Because the problem I have with Dallas is one game is Kyrie, one game is Luka, and they will go back and forth,” O’Neal stated on the podcast.

If Shaq’s advice is heeded, the Mavericks might once again have a chance to reach the Finals and ultimately win the Championship. The 4x NBA champion has watched Thompson struggle with the Warriors and believes that his departure will motivate him to perform at his best. After all, it was the Los Angeles Lakers legend himself who had made an almost accurate prediction about the Mavericks last season..

Shaquille O’Neal’s amazing prediction for the Dallas Mavericks last season

Last year, the Mavericks really hit the nail on the head by building a strong team around Luka and Kyrie, with Derrick Jones Jr. and Dereck Lively II. It was then that the Lakers legend predicted the Dallas Mavericks would win the NBA Finals. However, the Mavs still had a long way to go. 

Earlier this year, around the time of the Finals, O’Neal made another prediction that the Mavericks would win the game. After the Mavericks advanced to the Finals by beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 124-103, O’Neal doubled down on his faith in the team. 

The Big Aristotle was confident that the Boston Celtics had no answer for Luka Dončić. “The Celtics do not have three or four guys that can guard Luka. I like Dallas in this series. I like the way they’re playing,” O’Neal said. However, Luka and Kyrie Irving couldn’t keep up as the Celtics steamrolled past them, winning 4-1.

No wonder the 52-year-old issued an ultimatum this year before revealing his prediction. Shaquille O’Neal has also been supportive of Thompson. As he mentioned, the Mavericks would have to prove themselves this year.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.