Former Los Angeles Lakers championship-winning center Shaquille O'Neal, now a TNT broadcaster in his retirement, posted a worrying candid shot of himself in the hospital, without any explanation.
He addressed two of his Turner Sports teammates in his post.
"[I'm] always watching @TurnerSportsEJ [Ernie Johnson] and @Candace_Parker [Las Vegas Aces All-Star Candace Parker] miss y’all," O'Neal wrote.
The 7'1" big man is one of the most legendary Lakers to ever lace up a pair of sneakers. He signed with LA as a free agent in 1996, and teamed up with then-rookie shooting guard Kobe Bryant to eventually appear in four NBA Finals across five seasons, winning three straight from 2000-2002. For his efforts, he was named Finals MVP in each appearance, as the de facto leader of that run.
During his eight seasons in LA, Shaq boasted regular season averages of 27 points on 57.5% shooting, 11.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 2.5 blocks. He was traded to the Miami Heat in the 2004 offseason after tensions with Bryant reached a boiling point, and LA team president Mitch Kupchak opted to retain the younger player. O'Neal would go on to win his fourth and final title with the Heat in 2006, while Bryant's retooled Lakers would win in 2009 and 2010.
O'Neal's No. 34 jersey with LA has long since been retired, and a powerful bronze statue of him dunking enjoys a revered spot among the other Los Angeles immortals outside Crypto.com Arena.
Here's hoping O'Neal will make a full recovery from whatever is ailing him and can be back on small screens soon enough.
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