Shaquille O'Neal On The Lakers Being An 'Old' Team: “They’re Older, But Until You Can Show Me A Young Team That Has Dominated The League, I’m Not Really Worried Too Much About Their Age.”

Credit: Highsnobiety

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The Los Angeles Lakers were one of the most aggressive teams in the offseason.

Rob Pelinka made plenty of moves in little-to-no time, stacking the roster with experienced players following their heartbreaking loss in the first round of the playoffs.

And, even though the team has a much better roster ahead of next season, plenty of people have questioned whether a team that old can be healthy and thrive come playoff time.

For Shaquille O'Neal, though, that shouldn't be a concern at all, as you don't see many young teams going the distance either:

“Yeah, they definitely stacked their team,” Shaq told Complex. “They’re older, but until you can show me a young team that has dominated the league, I’m not really worried too much about their age.”

Shaq has a pretty valid point right there. Other than the 2012 Oklahoma City Thunder, it's hard to think of a young team that made it to the NBA Finals in recent years.

Then again, the Lakers will still have a tough road ahead of them in the Western Conference. The Golden State Warriors are ready to compete again, the Los Angeles Clippers will be healthy, and the Denver Nuggets as well.

There are some questions regarding the character and fit of the Lakers and how well they'll mesh in the locker room.

But that's where their veteran experience and leadership will give them an edge. Yeah, most of those players were used to being alpha dogs throughout their careers, but they're old and mature enough to put their egos aside.

The biggest challenge for the "old" Lakers will be to stay healthy throughout the season, but they have a roster that's deep enough to manage their stars' minutes and even give them a night off every now and then.


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