It was a great day for the Lakers when they signed Shaquille O’Neal, the center powerhouse for a seven-year deal. After the 1980s the strong Lakers team had a tough run before this signing. They had gotten some good players, but nobody who could really affect the game for them.
Shaq remembers the day before his signing and his conversation with the then-Laker General Manager Jerry West about a perfect pairing of Shaq and a kid they signed from Charlotte.
Shaquille O’Neal signed with Lakers 27 years ago
The Lakers were blessed with a shrewd general manager Jerry West. On July 18, 1996, they signed the legendary center away from the Orlando Magic, making it one of the largest free agent signings in NBA history thanks to West’s efforts. Two days before, an Orlando newspaper had released a survey in which 91.3% of callers expressed reservations about Shaq’s worth at $115 million. The Magic had first extended him a four-year, $54 million contract.
27 YEARS AGO TODAY
Shaq signed a 7-year/$121M deal with the Lakers.The signing was 2 days after a local Orlando paper published a poll saying 91.3% of callers didn't think Shaq was worth $115M.
The Magic's initial offer to Shaq was 4-years/$54M. pic.twitter.com/rukzRlMxB5
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) July 18, 2023
Shaq had already made his name as one of the league’s best players before that. The lack of opportunity for long-term success in Orlando prompted him to go elsewhere. After the Magic Johnson era, the Lakers finally found their franchise player in the center. The Lakers’ roster was strengthened by West’s decision to trade for Kobe Bryant in the 1996 NBA Draft, creating one of the best duos in the history of the NBA.
July 18, 1996: Shaquille O'Neal signs a 7-year, $120M deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, which at that point is described as "the richest total package in sports history."
📺 WPRI-TV pic.twitter.com/DdIgjEDJNZ
— NBA Cobwebs (@NBACobwebs) July 18, 2023
Although the Lakers enjoyed a great deal of success together, tensions arose due to internal problems. They were nonetheless strong rivals for the title despite their disagreements. The front staff, however, reached a breaking point and had to pick between O’Neal and Bryant. After the Lakers sided with Bryant, O’Neal decided to make his legacy with the Miami Heat.
O’Neal tells Kobe on the day Jerry West signed him to Lakers
Signing Shaquille O’Neal was an intelligent move by the Lakers. The discussion with Lakers general manager Jerry West was very crucial in persuading O’Neal to make the switch.
Recalling the conversation, O’Neal shared, “I got a call. 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.”
Shaq telling Kobe about the day Jerry West signed him.
"Before I could sign, he stopped me and said, 'I just acquired this kid from Charlotte. You and him are about to get 3 or 4 championships.'" pic.twitter.com/v4F0RScosZ
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) July 19, 2023
West also told O’Neal that he had signed a high schooler called Kobe Bryant because he thought the two of them would make a strong team. O’Neal recounted his initial dismissal: “OK, whomever that guy is. Whatever.'” O’Neal signed the deal the following morning without telling anyone, including his parents.
His colleagues were taken aback by the news conference he conducted the next day. O’Neal provided more context, saying, “The next day, we have a news conference, and all the press, they go right to Penny Hardaway. Somebody could remark, “Hey, did you hear Shaq signed with the Lakers?” I didn’t inform anyone when I signed, and he gave me that weird face. The pairing of Shaq and Kobe came to be seen as very smart as it proved to be one of the best duos just equal to Magic and Kareem.
