Many folks expected the Los Angeles Lakers to be busy this offseason, and sure enough, the team has been at the center of the action for much of the past few months. The goal is to contend for a championship next season, and while the roster isn’t finalized just yet, the Lakers should remain as dangerous as ever in the loaded Western Conference.
The biggest move everyone is talking about, of course, saw LeBron James depart in free agency, as he opted to sign a two-year, $8 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers. One guy who has been paying close attention to L.A.’s offseason work is franchise legend Shaquille O’Neal, and in an exclusive interview with Heavy on Lakers, he shared his thoughts on the team’s latest moves, while also discussing his new partnership with General Mills.
Shaquille O’Neal Opens Up on LeBron James’ Decision to Leave the Lakers
During the 2025-26 season, rumors swirled around James’ future with the Lakers, and while the front office tried to retain him, he ultimately decided to join a new team. Los Angeles’ late push to keep James around seemed to indicate that it felt it may have messed up when it came to its relationship with the future Hall of Famer, but O’Neal doesn’t see it that way, instead suggesting that this is simply what the business side of the NBA looks like.
“No, it’s what we call the business of basketball,” O’Neal told Heavy on Lakers. “When you get older, and you’re still playing at a high level, you’re still trying to demand high money; sometimes as a franchise you have to say, ‘Do I want to pay this guy this much money for the next two years, or do I wanna go get younger?’ I knew when they brought in Luka Doncic, they were looking to start over.”
A big reason why James’ departure this offseason seemed so likely is that his fit alongside Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves seemed to wane as the previous year unfolded. In some ways, O’Neal believes L.A. will feel the impact of James’ departure in the upcoming campaign, but he’s also excited to see what the offense can accomplish now that Doncic and Reaves are fully at the controls.
“LeBron was the ultimate ball controller. He always made the right play, but he had to have the ball in his hands most of the time to hit Luka or hit Austin Reaves,” O’Neal admitted. “If they play the Golden State style of basketball, up and down, and the ball is just really moving, I think it could definitely benefit the team … Luka is also a ball controller, but when he has the ball, he’s looking to score, and so is Austin … I think it will be similar.”
In terms of additions, the Lakers revamped their center position, which is a spot O’Neal is quite familiar with. And yet, while he’s happy to see some new faces in town, he’s more excited about the fact that Deandre Ayton is no longer around. “It’s only one great center and a lot of good centers,” O’Neal said. “I don’t know what the Lakers offense is gonna look like yet, but you got guys … they can do a lot of stuff around the rim, unlike ‘Dominayton,’ who didn’t do anything.”
Shaquille O’Neal Dishes on New General Mills Partnership
HeavyShaquille O’Neal is teaming up with General Mills to help launch their Biggest Fan Contest
While O’Neal has been retired for over a decade now, he’s remained one of the most prominent figures in the NBA, thanks in large part to his presence in the world of sports media. He’s also become a wildly successful businessman, with his latest venture in that world seeing him team up with General Mills to help launch their Biggest Fan Contest. According to O’Neal, partnering with General Mills on this new project was an easy decision.
“I’ve always been ‘Lucky Charms’ biggest fan, and teaming up with General Mills, we wanted to reward the biggest cereal fans, and we want to give them even bigger cereal prizes,” O’Neal revealed. “When they asked me about this, I said, ‘It’ll be a perfect fit,’ because I’ve been eating your cereal forever, and I love getting to celebrate friends who care about that crunchy, delicious bite as much as I do.”
The purpose of the Biggest Fan Contest is pretty straightforward, as O’Neal and General Mills are looking to find the biggest cereal fans in the world. If you can successfully prove your fandom, you’ll have the opportunity to earn quite a few prizes that involve O’Neal, which he outlined when diving into the specifics of the contest.
“I’m gonna get you to go to Shaq’s Fun House, get you a $20,000 cash prize, and you get a Shaqalicious delivery from me,” O’Neal shared. “Whoever the winner is, whatever your talent is, I’m telling you, I’m coming to your house and knocking on your door … But first, you’ve got to go to BiggestFanContest.com and show us why you deserve to be named the biggest fan.”
Unsurprisingly, O’Neal is a big cereal fan himself, as he’s frequently munching on several different options. Which is the best of the best, though? Leave it to the Hall of Fame big man to provide his Mount Rushmore of cereals. “‘Lucky Charms’ will be No. 1. And then you got the ‘Cinnamon Toast Crunch.’ And then you got the ‘Reese’s Puffs’ with the peanut butter chocolate power. And of course, ‘Honey Nut Cheerios.’ That’s a veteran cereal right there.”
Exclusive: Shaquille O’Neal Gets Brutally Honest on LeBron James’ Lakers Departure