Shaquille O’Neal was host of the 2019 NBA Awards on TNT and had the opportunity to entertain the crowd with his opening monologue and by flexing his comedic chops throughout the show. Of course, one of the hot topics in the league leading up to the awards show was the Los Angeles Lakers’ trade to acquire star big man Anthony Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans.
So naturally, Shaq brought up the trade and used it to roast one of the most infamous father-son duos in the NBA.
Los Angles traded Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hard, and a bundle of first-round picks to New Orleans in exchange for Davis, and Shaq cracked a brilliant joke that had social media rolling.
Not only did Shaq ether Lonzo, he brought Big Baller Brand patriarch LaVar Ball into the mix.
“Lakers had to cut their balls off to make this trade,” Shaq said before a photo of Lonzo and LaVar flashed on the big screen.
https://twitter.com/TheHoopCentral/status/1143326076069789696
Well played, Shaq. Well played.
But while Lonzo was the butt of the joke, he doesn’t seem too concerned about the move to New Orleans.
“You probably heard the news, it’s good news in my opinion. ‘Melo had a game today, he did good. Went to big Nick’s house, that was good. I got traded, that was good. And yeah, now we’re going to be taking the show to New Orleans and turning up out there. So until next time, chow.” Ball said in a social media post.
https://twitter.com/TheNBACentral/status/1142927319557967874
The 2019 NBA Awards took place on Monday, June 24 at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California. The timing for the NBA Awards often was under scrutiny, especially with the regular season ending on April 24. That means we have not seen MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo on the court for 30 days, James Harden for 45, and Paul George for 62 days.
When it was all said and done, Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo won the NBA MVP award in overwhelming fashion, earning 78 of a possible 101 votes. James Harden picked up 23 votes, while Paul George didn’t earn a single nod.
Rookie of the Year was also not in doubt, with Luka Doncic earning 98 of 101 votes and Trae Young picking up the remaining two.
WATCH: Shaq Roasts Lonzo, LaVar Ball at NBA Awards
