“Act like they signed Shaq and Kobe” – NBA fans erupt as Lakers consider signing Christian Koloko and versatile forward to boost bench depth

The LA Lakers continue to make moves this offseason. On Monday, NBA insider Shams Charania reported that the team will sign center Christian Koloko and undrafted forward Chris Manon on two-way contracts.

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Charania added that this move is a "continuation" of the team's intended plan for the development of Koloko. The 25-year-old center will return to LA after appearing in 37 games last season. He brings depth to the center position behind recent acquisition Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes.

Meanwhile, Manon, who went undrafted in the 2025 NBA draft, reportedly turned heads with his performance in the Summer League. Along with Koloko, he is set to split time with the G League's South Bay Lakers in 2025-26.

Several fans hilariously referenced NBA legends Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant in their reactions on X.

Aidan LaPorta

@AidanLaPorta69

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Lakers fans are gonna act like they signed Shaq and Kobe 😭

"How Lakers fans feel rn 🤩 #LakeShow," another fan tweeted.

Other fans were unimpressed with the Lakers' roster move.

²³𝙻𝚎𝙱𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚜🏀☄️🌎💞

@BronGotGame

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IDGAF bro don’t make me tap a noti this fast again for Koloko

Nate Capalot

@LeNooshii

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you think this was worth tweetin Shams?

Here are other fan reactions:

BASEDGODJAY⁉️

@basedgodjayden

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Koloko is decent but I don’t wanna see him get minutes unless he drastically improves on offense

Joseph Dycus

@joseph_dycus

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Warriors summer league standout and Vanderbilt alum Chris Manon gets his NBA shot with the Lakers.

Manon averaged 11ppg and had a team-high 8 blks and seven steals in five games. Looked like a NBA-caliber athlete and defender.

Koloko was the No. 33 pick of the 2022 NBA draft. His first two seasons in the league were limited due to a blood clot issue, which he developed in April 2023. He signed a two-way contract with the Lakers last offseason and averaged 2.4 points and 2.5 rebounds per game.

In seven Summer League games with the Golden State Warriors, Manon put up 9.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg and 1.6 spg in 17.1 mpg. He played four college seasons with Cornell and Vanderbilt.

What does the Lakers' 2025-26 roster look like after the most recent moves?

The LA Lakers waived Shake Milton and Jordan Goodwin to make room for the arrival of Marcus Smart. LA also announced Monday that it has waived Trey Jemison III, who was on a two-way contract.

According to NBA insider Brett Siegel, Smart will give up around $7 million of the remaining $21.6 million in the buyout agreement with the Washington Wizards. The former DPOY's deal with the Lakers will be worth $5.1 million in 2025-26.

The Lakers now have 14 players on their roster, in addition to the two-way contracts of Christian Koloko and Chris Manon.

Siegel noted in this article on Monday that LA could still pursue another veteran this offseason. However, the team would need to free up space to do so. Rob Pelinka and Co. have several players on expiring contracts (Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent and Maxi Kleber) that they could use in a trade.

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Kim Daniel Rubinos

Kim is an editor for US Sports and an NBA and WNBA analyst at Sportskeeda with a decade of multi-industry experience. He has a master's degree in business administration and a bachelor's degree in finance.

Writing has been Kim's passion, and during college, he was editor-in-chief. He has also accumulated a diverse entrepreneurial background. He possesses a knack for research and was recently a professor.

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