*Well now this is interesting.
Imagine being Shaquille O’Neal and jokester Jimmy Kimmel casually tells you that the Lakers are going to construct a statue of you at Staples Center.
What would reaction be?
Deep down inside you want to believe it, but your mind keeps telling you it can’t be true because it’s funnyman Jimmy Kimmel. Plus, if it’s true, why wouldn’t the Lakers organization have told you?
Truth is they didn’t tell you because they wanted to surprise you and freak you out (on national TV). And that’s exactly what happened to the big man Wednesday night.  🙂
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“You’re playing, I don’t believe you,” was Shaq’s response to Kimmel, who’s been known to pull plenty of pranks on his show. However, this wasn’t a prank or joke. This was the real deal. The Lakers announced plans for the statue later Wednesday night.
“We look forward to having Shaq join the other legends who have been honored with statues at STAPLES Center,” Lakers co-owner Jeanie Buss said. “He is a giant not only in size, but also in stature and in what he accomplished as a Laker. Shaq literally broke the ground for the site, and was hugely responsible for not only getting STAPLES Center built, but for making it one of the most successful and famous arenas in the world. It’s an honor that is well deserved.”
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O’Neal is also likely to be elected to the NBA Hall of Fame this year, making 2016 a very significant one. He played eight seasons with the Lakers and scored nearly half of his 28,596 points while wearing purple and gold.
Watch Shaq’s reaction (below) when he finally realizes it wasn’t a prank. If we didn’t kn ow better, we’d say he was on the verge of tearing up. And who would blame him?
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