The Orlando Magic had a huge decision to make in 1996 – one that shaped the future of the NBA.
Rising star Shaquille O’Neal helped the franchise reach the 1995 NBA Finals and Eastern Conference Finals a year later.
GettyO’Neal was lured away after feeling disrespected by Orlando bosses[/caption]
A dynasty was on the cards but, unfortunately for Magic fans, it ended up being established on the opposite coast.
O’Neal averaged 26.6 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks across 54 games in what turned out to be his final season in Orlando.
He didn’t want to leave the team that drafted him first overall in 1992 but grew increasingly frustrated as contract talks dragged on.
Then Los Angeles Lakers general manager Jerry West spotted an opening and owner Jerry Buss backed him.
“The [Magic] had [an offer of] 80 [million] and then they put up billboards [that] said, ‘No man’s worth $100 million,’” Shaq told Grantland. “Jerry West said, ‘I’ll give you whatever you want.’
“And then, the crazy thing is, I was going to come back [to Orlando] and get the 80. That’s when Juwan Howard got [$101 million] and [Alonzo] Mourning got 105.
“So we called [Orlando general manager] John [Gabriel] up and John wasn’t talking right, and Jerry West said, ‘Hey, right now we can give you 98, but we can probably get you some things on the side.’ He called me later — about three in the morning — and said, ‘We’re going to get you 120.’ I said, ‘I’ll meet you over there.’
O’Neal stunned the basketball world by signing a seven-year deal worth $120million with the Lakers on July 18.
Orlando media claimed he wanted out but Diesel insists he was desperate to stay until he felt disrespected.
“They didn’t match quick enough. Forget matching. You’ve got to make the offer at the beginning,” he added. “Everyone knows I wanted to stay. My house is 80,000 freaking square feet.
GettyKobe Bryant and O’Neal anchored one of the NBA’s great teams[/caption]
AFPThe Lakers broke the bank to sign Shaq[/caption]
“You think I wanted to just leave that thing? Eighty thousand. It ain’t like I was planning to go.
“My uncle Jerome was with me. We had a conversation with Orlando. We were like, ‘This is what we want.’ They denied it. Then, we had a conversation with Mr. Jerry West. He accepted it. So I left that day. I wasn’t messing around.”
West knew that players like the towering 7ft 1in O’Neal did not come along often.
“In Los Angeles, our owner, Jerry Buss, always wanted to acquire players that would give us an opportunity to play for championships,” he said.
“And when you’ve got a player of Shaquille’s caliber — his ability to dominate games and be the most destructive force in basketball at that time was pretty unique.
“Those opportunities don’t come along very often.”
West’s confidence paid off – big time.
O’Neal won three successive NBA titles with the Lakers between 2000 and 2002.
A dominant team that also featured Kobe Bryant and will go down as one of the best rosters in NBA history.
Under owner Richard DeVos and Gabriel, the Magic were one of the most promising prospects of the 1990s but lost their touch.
Orlando did not make it past the first round of the NBA playoffs until 2008.
If only they could wave a wand and go back to tat fateful summer for the Magic.