Shaq's Advice to AD? Stay in NOLA, Make LeBron Come to Him
(David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)
If you’re a big man in the NBA and Shaquille O’Neal decides to give you a nugget of advice, it’s probably wise to at least hear him out. The Laker legend understands the environment surrounding the LA franchise, and he actually advised that Anthony Davis stay in New Orleans and keep getting paid as opposed to teaming up with LeBron James in the Staples Center.
Shaq does make a sage point: the SoCal cost of living is exorbitantly high, with median cost of housing being roughly 3-4 times higher in LA than New Orleans. Figures like these are why elite athletes shouldn’t just sign the dotted line below the highest dollar amount.
Still, nitpicking cost of living factors is definitely less of a priority when you’ve got over $200 million coming your way. AD should focus on winning. But he’s definitely already considered the likelihood of LeBron ever becoming a Pelican, which is near zero. If Davis wants to team up with one of the all-time greats, he’s gonna have to change locales.
$31 million is still a big chunk of change to say goodbye to. I don’t envy AD’s decision there.
Who am I kidding, yes I do.
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