“I had to cut everything out, and that’s when my career really took off” - Shaquille O'Neal says Phil Jackson told him to cut out the entertainment side, believes joining Lakers was the "perfect decision"
NBA icon Shaquille O'Neal saw his career take off to another level after signing with the LA Lakers in free agency in 1996. But he recently admitted that his career didn't really get the push it needed until legendary coach Phil Jackson was hired in 1999.
The Lakers went on a three-peat, winning the championship from 2000-02. On "The Big Podcast," O'Neal said:
"I carefully thought it through. LA, other money on the side, movies, music, I was gonna do all that. When I was doing that in Orlando, such a small place, and it was so foreign to everybody, took a lot of flack, but in LA it was accepted.
"And (Lakers general manager) Jerry West said, 'Look, I don't care if you doing all that stuff, but at the end – when it's all said and done – you got to make a choice: Do you want to be over here on the entertainment side or do you want to be one of best Lakers ever?
"So, first four, I did what I wanted to do, but then when Phil came in, he told me to cut it out. I had to cut everything out, and that's when my career really took off, and we got those three in a row. So, my decision was the perfect decision. Like, if you looking at it from a book standpoint, it was a perfect decision."
The legendary big man was the No. 1 pick by the Orlando Magic in 1992 and quickly became a star.
In his first year, Shaq averaged 23.4 points, 13.9 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game, winning the NBA's Rookie of the Year award. It seemed as if it was only a matter of time before O'Neal brought a championship to Orlando, especially while playing alongside Penny Hardaway. The two took the fledgling franchise to the 1995 NBA Finals.
But it wasn't until a massive change in his career led towards a future of championships.
Shaquille O'Neal heaps praise on LA Lakers coach Phil Jackson
Shaquille O'Neal went on to talk about how he was initially recruited to the Lakers by NBA legend Jerry West, then the general manager. As his career started to blossom with the Lakers, O'Neal praised Phil Jackson for unlocking his ability to focus and win numerous titles.
On this day in 1996, Shaquille O'Neal signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Lakers. The Hall of Famer would go on to win 3 straight championships with the Lakers in 2000, 2001, and 2002. https://t.co/NNmwORXiuK
Jackson was hired heading into the 1999-2000 season.
Under his command, O'Neal averaged 29.7 ppg, 13.6 rpg, 3.8 apg and 3.0 bpg. The Lakers finished 67-15 before eventually winning the NBA championship against the Indiana Pacers.