Ric Flair is all about putting on a show ... but he knows this is an emotional time for the Lakers ... which is why the WWE legend tells TMZ Sports he had to think twice before giving his epic intro for the team Wednesday at Staples Center.
Flair got the entire L.A. crowd pumped before the Lakers took on Zion Williamson's New Orleans Pelicans ... welcoming "the greatest franchise in all of sports" ... and his favorite player, LeBron James.
It. Was.