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Par Joël Pütz | Journaliste sportif
Los Angeles has always been an attractive destination for NBA stars, but living there also comes with certain constraints. While Giannis Antetokounmpo is at the center of rumors, Shaquille O’Neal wanted to give him some advice on the matter.
Every year, the Lakers are tied up with a vast majority of the stars available on the market. Not only because the franchise is known for strengthening itself through trades and signings rather than the draft, but also because it is one of the biggest markets in the league. This means that its attractiveness is far greater than that of competitors like the Knicks or the Heat.
It’s no surprise, then, that Giannis Antetokounmpo is the subject of rumors sending him to the City of Angels, even though he’s expected to leave the Bucks this summer. While it seems difficult to see him land with the Purple and Gold, that doesn’t stop observers from dreaming of a Big Three including the Greek Freak, LeBron James, and Luka Doncic.
Shaquille O’Neal’s advice for Giannis Antetokounmpo
That being said, Los Angeles is clearly not the favorite in this case. San Antonio or Toronto seem like more likely destinations, despite the fact that we’re talking about much smaller markets. But according to Shaquille O’Neal, this no longer plays as big a role as it once did, with the Big Diesel speaking to Yahoo Sports:
I would tell him that, probably, a bigger market doesn’t matter. Social media is the market now. Giannis has made a name for himself on social media. If you go to L.A., 50% of your contract goes to taxes, more pressure and more stress. Being that he’s in control of that ship, he should go upstairs and be like ‘I want to see all the free agents, I want phone numbers and I want to talk to them.’
He should bring people to him. When I was coming up, it was small market was too small, probably needed to go to a big market. But now, every market is the same. Nobody cares what city you’re in, this ain’t the ’90s.
According to the Hall of Famer, we need to stop thinking in terms of large and small markets, as this concept has become obsolete with the advent of social media.
Under such conditions, joining franchises like the Lakers or the Knicks is no longer necessarily as attractive for superstars, especially when you consider the media pressure these teams generate. Add to that the financial argument and it’s a lot… This is also why Giannis is also linked to the Rockets, as taxes are much lower in Texas.
