Shaq learns of Staples Center statue in ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ reveal
The Big Aristotle will soon be The Big Statue. NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal, a three-time champion with the Los Angeles Lakers, will soon have a statue in his likeness placed at Staples Center, the team’s home arena. The news was revealed to the future Hall of Famer and current “Inside the NBA” analyst during an appearance on ABC late-night talk show “Jimmy Kimmel Live” on Wednesday night.
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You can take a look at an artist’s rendering of the eventual statue here:
The O’Neal statue will join similar monuments to Lakers legends Magic Johnson, Jerry West, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and broadcaster Chick Hearn; Los Angeles Kings hockey players Wayne Gretzky and Luc Robitaille; and LA-born boxer Oscar de la Hoya. It’s safe to assume that Kobe Bryant will eventually get a prominent statue, as well, although we don’t know if it’ll be close enough to Shaq’s that they can argue “Night at the Museum”-style late at night.
Although planning appears to be in its initial stages, the concept is a worthy monument to Shaq’s dominant tenure with the Lakers. The iconic image of him pulling down the rim after a powerful dunk is a memorable one. Who could ever forget this dunk on Chris Dudley?
Plus, the apparent implementation hanging on or near a wall is very cool and should help it stand out from more common statues. It’s a fitting design for an athlete and media personality who always tries his best to get noticed.
It’s also nice to know that the Lakers have not taken the messy end to Shaq’s tenure with the franchise as reason to withhold an honor he rightfully earned. O’Neal was a legitimate sensation during his eight seasons in purple and gold and was the biggest force on the best team of that era. There’s plenty of room around the arena to honor him.
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Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
