The Miami Heat are retiring Shaquille O’Neal’s jersey on Dec. 22, so maybe the Lakers’ announcement that they’ll be unveiling this O’Neal statue on Tuesday is a subtle reminder that he won three championships in Los Angeles. Who knows — it might just be a coincidence! Either way, who cares. This is the coolest damn statue I’ve seen yet in the NBA.
The Lakers will honor Shaquille O’Neal with this gold-plated dunking statue
This is a fantastic statute, although we’re not quite sure how it’s going to work.
It’s a gold-plated look that features O’Neal’s signature two-handed slam, with both feet hanging all over the place. We’ve seen signature shots or players rising for dunks as statues, but rarely do these incorporate the backboard. The one exception I could find, in fact, is O’Neal — here’s a statue of him at LSU.
But that backboard is tiny compared to the Lakers’ version, and it’s not nearly as dynamic. And it’s not PLATED IN GOLD. Sorry, Los Angeles has the clear advantage here.
The only question: how are they going to hang this? There’s no base present in the mock-up, but will it be in the final version? Or — and this is what I’m rooting for — what if they attached it to a wall? That might not be possible at all, but hey, I’m just a visionary here.
The Lakers will reveal the backboard on March 24, 2017, before a game against the Timberwolves.
