“In 3 to 4 years, you guys gonna be the best duo since Magic and Kareem” - Shaquille O'Neal says Jerry West had a tear in his eye when he signed his Lakers contract, says he didn’t tell his mom and dad
NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal took the league by storm after being selected with the first pick in 1992. He won Rookie of the Year in 1992-93 and took the fledgling Orlando Magic to the 1995 NBA Finals before leaving in free agency in 1996.
On "The Big Podcast," O'Neal talked about how NBA legend Jerry West recruited him to leave the Magic and sign with the LA Lakers as a free agent. At the time, Orlando looked to be on the verge of winning multiple championships. But a meeting with the Lakers general manager convinced O'Neal to take the leap and sign with Los Angeles.
"I got a call," O'Neal said. "You need to go to the hotel now. It was Jerry West. Never met Jerry West before, and I was like, 'What's going on?' Jerry West said, 'You want the good news or the bad news? I said, 'What's the bad news?' He said the bad news is, 'I know you've been asking for 150 (million dollars), I can't get you 150.
"I said, 'What's the good news?' He said, 'I can get you 121,' and I was like, '121 what?' He said, 'I can get you 121, and you'll be the highest-paid ever. I said, 'Where do I sign?' And as I'm signing, he has the biggest smile on his face. He really has a tear in his eye.
"He's like, 'Let me tell you something, I also acquired this kid out of high school named Kobe Bryant. In three to four years, you guys gonna be the best duo since Magic (Johnson) and Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar). He said that while I'm signing, but I was like, 'OK, whoever that kid is. Whatever.'
"And I sign the next morning. We had a press conference. I was actually in Atlanta 'cause I was on the Olympic team. And I didn't tell anybody. I didn't even tell my mom and dad.
"So we get to the press conference the next day, and all the press, they go straight to Penny Hardaway. They say, 'Hey, you know Shaq signed with the Lakers?' And he got a crazy look 'cause I didn't tell anybody when I signed."
Shaquille O'Neal talks about signing with the LA Lakers
It's still one of the most talked about free-agency developments the NBA has ever seen. After being on the verge of winning a championship in Orlando, O'Neal sent shockwaves throughout the NBA with his decision to sign with the Lakers.
WPRI-TV: youtu.be/N-T0UgrfvNoJuly 18, 1996: Shaquille O'Neal signs a 7-year, $120M deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, "the richest total package in sports history."
📺 WPRI-TV: youtu.be/N-T0UgrfvNo https://t.co/dhj0xqnH2W
It turned out to be a wise decision as O'Neal became one of the most dominant superstars the league had ever seen. During his time with the Lakers, O'Neal won three championships, becoming a three-time Finals MVP in the process.