Shaquille O'Neal makes bold prediction about Cavaliers' title contention after red-hot 34-5 start 

NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal demonstrated that he is all in on the Cleveland Cavaliers. On "NBA on TNT", the hall-of-fame big man made the bold prediction of saying that he's taking the Cavaliers over the reigning champion Boston Celtics.

When discussing how he views the Cavaliers, O'Neal described the connectivity that they play with. Outside of re-signing players, Cleveland made no significant roster changes over the offseason and yet they are playing at a substantially higher win rate. Many credit the Cavs' performance to Evan Mobley's improvement and Darius Garland's resurgence. However, Shaq appreciates the continuity within the team.

"When I look at Cleveland right now I see that they're together", said Shaquille O'Neal.

O'Neal is so confident in the Cavaliers this season that he believes they could win it all in the Finals. Given their historic performance this season, he might just have a point.

In today's NBA, frequent roster changes make it challenging for a core group of players to stay together season after season. That being said, the longer a group plays together, the more they will understand each other's quirks and be able to maximize their abilities while sharing the floor.

Having played for six teams in his illustrious career, Shaquille O'Neal understands the impact of roster changes and the importance of keeping players together.

Fortunately for the Cavs, Evan Mobley, Darius Garland, and Jarrett Allen are now in their fourth full season playing together, while Donovan Mitchell is in his third season in Cleveland. This continuity gives the Cavaliers a chemistry advantage that few other teams have.

Shaquille O'Neal is taking the Cavs to go all the way

Shaquille O'Neal's confidence in the Cavaliers goes beyond believing they can overcome the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals. During "NBA on TNT" and ahead of tonight's rematch between the Cavaliers and the Thunder, he made a bold declaration.

O'Neal thinks the matchup between the Cavaliers and the Oklahoma City Thunder is a preview of what the 2025 NBA Finals will be.

After hearing his reasons for liking the Cavs in the East, it's easy to understand why he also favors the Thunder in the West. He notes a similar characteristic between the two teams; the connectivity with which they play.

"When I was the guy, you got to give me the ball every time. But SGA— like if JDub takes a shot it ain't going to phase him. They just play so whole together", said O'Neal.

"Can we make up our own parlay? OKC and Cleveland in the Finals. That's what I know will happen for a fact", O'Neal declared.