http://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/t...o-magic-let-the-lakers-steal-shaquille-oneal/ I won't copy any of the actual content since it's really worth reading IMO. Wow, how anybody came to the conclusion that lowballing young Shaq was a good idea is really beyond me. Especially considering that not-so-tiny ego of his. Good for us, long live Jerry West!
great story but I've read most of it during that time except for Orlando criticizing Shaq's rebounding and free throw shooting to low ball him. Jerry West was just being Jerry West. Can't believe we did not lock him up with a lifetime/ownership type contract
I remember the poll and how West was so stressed that he said he would've jumped out the building if O'Neal went back to Orlando. After O'Neal signed on...West went as far as comparing the event to the birth of his son.
Never heard of any of that before, top itch insight, that's journalism! Jerry is going to go down as the best two way (game play and business decision making) man in NBA history. Bring that man back already, SHOOT!
I had actually thought they had offered him max (who wouldn't) and that Shaq just turned them down anyways. To find out that they didn't....wow...has to be the stupidest GM/FO in history.
really interesting to see how rare the shaq signing was. maybe a once in a lifetime type thing, perfect storm. so many things had to go right for the lakers there, including others' incompetence and bizarre temporary changes in free agency regulations (no RFA). i had always wondered how the lakers got him after only a few years with orl--i was too young to understand cba nuances back then--but the fact that there was no max and no restrictions makes it more sensible. still, nobody in their right mind lets a monster like that go at any price. hell, people will now pay your bradley beals of the world the max, just to avoid the infinitesimal chance that you let a franchise-changer walk. even then, shaq had already brought them to the finals...nuts.
..."30 For 30" recently did a feature on that Orlando Magic team. In it, O'Neal states he should have never left and told Hardaway that he should have gone to him to hash it out. Whatever...
well, hardaway's knees gave out pretty quickly--i'm guessing shaq may not get a ring if he stays in orlando.
someone said on here a while back that west might have been a better executive than he was a player i agree with that 100%
It was a shame about Hardaway's knee issues... When he was healthy, he was a top notch guard that could score, pass and defend. Without O'Neal to take off the pressure, Hardaway had to shoulder too much and it took it's toll on him physically and mentally.
