Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer and 19-year NBA veteran Shaquille O'Neal always has something to say, for better or worse.
And just recently, the four-time NBA champion spoke highly of the Warriors.
On Friday's “Inside the NBA” segment on TNT's NBA, O'Neal gave Golden State and Los Angeles Lakers fans hope despite the teams' low seeding in the Western Conference standings.
The retired center believes the Warriors and Lakers “can” or “could” beat the Oklahoma City Thunder if they meet in the 2024 NBA Playoffs. The Thunder are the No. 2 seed in the West, while the No. 9 Lakers and No. 10 Warriors are nearing a rematch in the NBA Play-In Tournament.
O'Neal likely leans toward this because the Thunder are a young and inexperienced team compared to the aging Warriors and Lakers.
Oklahoma City, led by 25-year-old guard and Kia NBA MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, has no starters other than him and Luguentz Dort, who has postseason experience.
In contrast, Golden State still has its four-time NBA championship core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and coach Steve Kerr, and Los Angeles' LeBron James and Anthony. Davis also remains.
California's two franchises are led by players closer to 40 than 20, while 15 of Oklahoma City's 18 players are under 30 and all five starters are under 25.
O'Neal and fans alike are no strangers to watching Golden State pass young, promising teams.
Just last season, the Warriors defeated the then No. 1 team. The Kings were seeded No. 3 in seven games in the first round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs, with Sacramento then and now led by young players like De'Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis and Keegan Murray.
Golden State also won the 2022 NBA Finals by defeating Boston, a matchup in which Curry and co outclassed Celtics young stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
O'Neal's claims aren't far-fetched considering the Warriors' track record. Golden State has an unparalleled history compared to Oklahoma City.
The Warriors can threaten the NBA's youngest and brightest players, but they still need an answer to the league's all-time favorite, Father Time.
But first, Golden State is scheduled to play Los Angeles on Saturday at 5:30pm PT at Crypto.com Arena.
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