Shaquille O’Neal firmly rejects idea of Lakers redoing The Beatles’ “Abbey Road”

The Los Angeles Lakers assembled one of the most star-studded teams in NBA history when they recruited Karl Malone and Gary Payton to join Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. The excitement surrounding this roster was unparalleled. Former Lakers vice president of public relations John Black sought to immortalize this moment by recreating an iconic Beatles’ album cover with the four stars, but Shaquille O’Neal was not on board.

John Black reminisced about his idea, saying, “Remember The Beatles’ cover of the famous album ‘Abbey Road’? I wanted to do a version of that with those four players for the cover of the media guide, maybe make a poster of it. Before I even discussed it with Gary and Karl, Shaq shot it down. It wasn’t even, ‘Let me think about it,’ it was ‘Fu*k no. I’m not doing that.'”

According to Black, Shaq might have been in a foul mood at the time. However, it seems unlikely that O’Neal would have agreed even if he had been in a better frame of mind. At that time, Shaq’s ongoing conflict with Kobe Bryant, who was undergoing significant legal troubles, was intensifying. A photoshoot that might have been ridiculed was probably not the best idea.

While they did manage to take a group picture, the “Abbey Road” concept was scrapped. It turned out to be for the best, as the Lakers team never achieved the legendary success that fans hoped for. Despite their star power, they struggled through the season, especially after Malone’s injury. Given the expectations, anything less than a championship was considered a failure, and in this case, it was a bust.

If the 2003-04 Lakers were likened to The Beatles, then Shaq would be John Lennon—not only as the frontman but possibly also the catalyst for the group’s breakup. O’Neal’s difficulties in getting along with other stars during his time with both the Lakers and the Orlando Magic are well-documented. He even once admitted that he was too big to ride in the backseat of anyone’s car.

It wasn’t until Shaq joined the Miami Heat and played alongside Dwyane Wade that he understood the importance of sharing the spotlight. Even now, the 2003-04 Lakers season remains one of the greatest “what-ifs” in franchise history. Much like The Beatles, we are left to wonder what might have been if the stars had managed to coexist longer.

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Source: FANBUZZ, SPORTSKEEDA