After painfully tripping Shaquille ONeal, Larry David makes COMEBACK to Lakers game after 22 year

Publish date: 2024-05-07

Larry David, the creator and star of the hit comedy series “Curb Your Enthusiasm”, made a surprising comeback to a Lakers game after 22 years of being banned from the arena for tripping Shaquille O’Neal.

In the second season’s eighth episode of “Curb Your Enthusiasm”, which aired in 2001, David scored courtside seats for the Los Angeles Lakers home opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves. All was going well until David stretched out his legs onto the court and accidentally tripped and injured O’Neal, who was then playing for the Lakers.

The incident caused an uproar among the fans and the media, who blamed David for sidelining O’Neal and ruining the Lakers’ chances of winning. David became a pariah in the city and was banned from attending any Lakers games.

However, in a twist of fate, David was invited to sit courtside by the Lakers bench in Game 6 vs Memphis Grizzlies in Round 1 of the Playoffs following a 22-year ban from the arena. The Lakers went on to thrash Grizzlies 125-85, advancing to the next round and sending the opponents home.

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How did Larry David get back in the good graces of Shaq and the Lakers?

David’s redemption came after he managed to win over O’Neal’s heart by gifting him every Seinfeld episode while he recovered in the hospital. O’Neal, who is a huge fan of Seinfeld, appreciated David’s gesture and forgave him for the tripping incident.

David also revealed that O’Neal was actually in on the stunt and told him to put his foot there and he would do the rest. O’Neal said he always wanted to be a stuntman when he was little and knew how to fall. He also said he came up with the line “peanut butter is a dairy product”, which he told David in the hospital.

David and O’Neal have remained friends ever since and have appeared together on several occasions, including on Jimmy Kimmel Live and Inside the NBA. The Lakers legend even invited David to his birthday party in 2016.

David’s return to a Lakers game after 22 years was a moment of triumph for him and a testament to his friendship with O’Neal. It also showed that life could imitate art, as David’s real-life experience mirrored his fictional one on “Curb Your Enthusiasm”.

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