EAST RUTHERFORD, UNITED STATES: Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant (L) and Shaquille O'Neal (R) celebrate in the locker room after game four of the NBA Finals against the New Jersey Nets at Continental Airlines Arena 12 June 2002 in East Rutherford, NJ. The Lakers won their third consecutive title by a score of 113-107 to sweep the best-of-seven series 4-0. AFP PHOTO/Jeff HAYNES (Photo credit should read JEFF HAYNES/AFP/Getty Images)
Drafted in 1992 by the Orlando Magic, NBA Hall of Famer, Shaquille O’Neal made a splash in the NBA with his play on the court and his savvy off of it.
After leading the Magic to the NBA Finals in 1995, where they’d lose to the Houston Rockets, Shaq his talents to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Teammed with Kobe Bryant, Shaq and LA would win multiple championships under head coach, Phil Jackson.
Shaq and I discussed the good old days and how he made the decision to sign with the Lakers.
Check out our Q&A below:
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: I went to Orlando and I realized your jersey is not retired.
Shaquille O’Neal: They do a Ring of Honor Ceremony, they don’t retire jerseys. So it’s cool.
Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: When I look back at the fabric of me watching basketball, I fell in love with it in 1991 with Michael. You came in in 1992. How could the Magic change that? Would you want your jersey retired?
Shaquille O’Neal: It doesn’t matter. In the Mecca of basketball, I’m up there. In the Mecca of basketball, I’m up front. So I’m good. Where I went to college, in the world of all the LSU basketball players, I’m good. So if they want to do it, cool. If not, I understand. But, I don’t want to disrespect anybody, but the Orlando Magic, had they had the right people bringing in the right people, they could make it a go-to destination. I wouldn’t say I had a falling out with the management, it’s just that I left and got offered something better. I said: ‘This is what I want.’ They didn’t want to do it. I got a call from Jerry West, he said: ‘I’ll do it.’ So basically when I put the number $150 Million out, he also let other people in. It wasn’t about it being $150 million, it was: ‘this is what I want and all of you and those 27 other franchises, if you think I’m this good, call my agent.’ Me and him were at Atlantic City, men’s room, Magic City, and my agent called and said: ‘Jerry West wants to see you now.’ I said: ‘I was busy.’ He said: ‘No, Jerry wants to see you now.’ So I got up there, Jerry West is smooth, he had on some slippers and a housecoat, he said: ‘I got some good news and I got some bad news.’ I said: ‘What’s the bad news?’ He said: ‘I can’t get you that 150.’ I said: ‘What’s the good news?’ He said: ‘I can get you $120 million with some movie deals on the side.’ I said: ‘What?’ He handed me a piece of paper and that shit was looking so pretty. $120 with all those zeros after them. He said: ‘You gotta sign right now and I got a young kid who we’re gonna get by the name of Kobe Bryant. You’re gonna win three or four seasons.’ I didn’t know who he [Kobe]was, never heard of him. He said: ‘I’m bringing in this young kid, and y’all are gonna win championships.’ I wasn’t even worried about that. I was just worried about signing. The crazy thing was I was already familiar with coming out here. Every time we lost, I would come here. We lost a game Sunday in Orlando, I’d be here Monday, partying and having a good time. So, I already had a heart for Manhattan beach, I already knew everybody, knew all the go-to places, knew all the restaurants. So it was just like going to my summer home to my winter home.