The Los Angeles Lakers finally made a move to try and improve their roster, recently trading away Kendrick Nunn and some second-round picks to acquire Rui Hachimura. Hachimura was a 9th overall pick in the NBA draft and while he hasn’t set the league on fire in his short career so far, there’s no denying that he has shown some promise.
The Los Angeles Lakers have Anthony Davis back and LeBron James is playing at a spectacular level despite his age. Furthermore, acquiring Hachimura is not the last of the activity in the trade market, according to Rob Pelinka. And while Lakers fans seem pretty happy with their new acquisition, Shaquille O’Neal revealed that his initial reaction was far from flattering.
“I don’t know who the f**k that is. Who the f**k is that?! Excuse my French, like, come on, Rob! We’re trying to win championships. Who is that, seriously? Can he play? I ain’t even heard of him. … My Lakers, we are all about winning them championships.”
While it’s true that adding a youngster that averages a little over 13 points per game isn’t a massive coup, this reaction also seems overly harsh from Shaq. The Big Diesel has known the Lakers as winners, so his expectations are built on how the franchise has always been. In any case, Hachimura might go on to surprise O’Neal among others, he seems to have a high ceiling.
Phil Handy Seemingly Compared Rui Hachimura To Kawhi Leonard
Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Phil Handy has worked with players like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Kawhi Leonard for most of his career. When Rui Hachimura joined up with the Lakers, he was able to get some training in with Handy as well, as he will continue to move forward. And after their interaction, the coach had very high praise for Hachimura, seemingly likening him to prime Kawhi.
“Reminds me of this guy I coached in Toronto.”
Rui Hachimura is still only 24 and he has the length, the size, and the ability to take the next step in the right situation. If the Los Angeles Lakers are able to develop him, this trade might just go down as one of the biggest steals ever. And while most people would admit that this is a long shot, it would make Shaq’s initial reaction look pretty dumb if it happens.
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