Shaquille O'Neal shares spicy opinion on Lakers in-season tournament banner

O'Neal won three championships with the Lakers. Therefore, three banners currently hanging in the Crypto.com arena are part of his legacy. 

However, the in-season tournament banner is black and gold. It is shaped differently from the other banners. There is a clear difference in how they are displayed. As such, it makes sense that O'Neal has found a way to differentiate between the two types of success.

The Lakers are one of the most successful franchises in NBA history. Their rafters are filled with heritage and legendary stories of success. Some of the best players to ever grace the hardwood have part of their legacies hanging from those rafters. If the in-season tournament hadn't been in its first year, Los Angeles would likely have celebrated their victory differently.

Yet winning is what the Lakers do. Being the first to raise an in-season tournament banner is special. That specific feat can never be done again. O'Neal is right not to be offended by the franchise raising that banner, and the front office was right in not having it look like all the others that have been hoisted over the decades before.

If the Lakers win another in-season tournament, it will be interesting to see whether they decide to hang another banner, or whether they view their historic accomplishment as the primary reason to celebrate their latest success.