[tone wone]

this is another example of me being too damn young to remember anything...

...i've been told the situation with Orlando was very simular to what happen with L.A, except his relationship with Penny wasn't really bad...just that shaq was somewhat jealous Penny....

I'm not sure but I think orlando wouldn't give into shaq's contract demands....Buss & West offered Shaq 100mil so he left....but he didn't leave on good terms..









.....so, what exactly happened?

 

[IV]

It was similar to what happened in LA. He didn't like Penny, and didn't like having to share the spotlight with him. The team seemed to be going downhill, so he demanded to be traded or wouldn't resign with the team.

 

[sherwin]

It sucks being too young to have been around in the prime time of the NBA

 

[kflo]

i wouldn't say the team was going downhill. they won 60 games.

orlando took it for granted that he would resign with them. la took some big risks to clear space for shaq, and worked out a deal - offered him la, home of hollywood and nba history. took orlando by surprise. there was some animosity between shaq and penny, with shaq not feeling appreciated ('96 shaq missed 27 games, orlando did very well without him, and penny was considered a superstar who could carry a team).

 

[SeaNet]

Add to all of this, the fact that he was tired of being the only HUGE fish in a little pond, in Orlando, and he wanted to go to LA where he could to a certain extent be just another celebrity.

 

[Pioneer10]

^ That poll was the final straw: Shaq felt like big fish in a small pond and Orlando's management seemed to be wishy washy whether they would pay the market value. But once the poll came out it was bye bye Diesel

 

[kflo]

he didn't want to be just another celebrity. he wanted to be a big celebrity in a big town. hollywood and la offered him MORE attention, not less.

 

[SeaNet]

he didn't want to be just another celebrity. he wanted to be a big celebrity in a big town. hollywood and la offered him MORE attention, not less.

That's the opposite of what I read at the time of him going to LA. And the opposite of what I remember him saying after he was there. However, I've been wrong before...

 

[kflo]

knowing what you know about shaq's ego, and his need to be loved and appreciated, which would you find more likely?

 

[Pioneer10]

That's the opposite of what I read at the time of him going to LA. And the opposite of what I remember him saying after he was there. However, I've been wrong before...

That was what I remember reading as well. He stated he wanted to be another celebrity without all the scrutiny in Orlando.

Whether that is true or not only Shaq knows but that was what was reported

 

[SeaNet]

knowing what you know about shaq's ego, and his need to be loved and appreciated, which would you find more likely?

The one that I specifically remember reading and hearing. As you did not hear or read that, though, I would not be surprised if we came to differing conclusions.

 

[Pinball]

Not to mention he didn't feel appreciated by the fans. There was a poll in a Orlando newspaper asking if Shaq deserved over 100 million and something like 80% of the fans answered no.

I can't quite recall all of the contracts signed before Shaq's but I'd imagine $100 million was a very large sum of money back in the mid 90's. You see players getting huge contracts now but I don't know if it was this common a decade ago. Maybe fans just couldn't come to grips with the size of that contract because they hadn't seen numbers that large before.

 

[Ghost]

I can't quite recall all of the contracts signed before Shaq's but I'd imagine $100 million was a very large sum of money back in the mid 90's. You see players getting huge contracts now but I don't know if it was this common a decade ago. Maybe fans just couldn't come to grips with the size of that contract because they hadn't seen numbers that large before.

I know that around that time Alonzo Mourning got a record deal from the Hornets worth about 120 million.

 

[JNice]

There was never an indication at the time Shaq left Orlando that there were any problems with Penny. Not true.

There has always been a lot made of Shaq wanting a 100 million dollar contract and that bull about the OrlandoSentinel poll ... but Shaq was gone regardless. Shaq wanted to go to LA. He wanted to go to Hollywood to do music and movies and he always idolized Wilt Chamberlain.

None of that other stuff really mattered. He was going to LA. Shaq stills loves Orlando. He's still got a house there and has talked many times about possibly becoming an owner/part owner of the Magic after he retires.

 

[HKF]

Shaq left specifically to make more money. He wanted to do awful movies and commercials, which he was able to do and make a boatload of cash on it. He became a megastar in LA, where he began endorsing so many things it was ridiculous. He left for money, not for rings. If the Clippers were switched with the Lakers in that situation, I'm pretty sure he would have left for that cash that would be there.

The Lakers were just icing, because they are the marquee team of the league. Hollywood, FL or Hollywood, CA. Big difference.

 

[HKF]

Sorry, didn't see your post J-Nice.

 

[JNice]

Sorry, didn't see your post J-Nice.

It's all good. I agree and disagree with you. Part of it was the money. But I don't think it would have been as much of a done deal if it wasn't "The Lakers" ... if they didn't have that history .. and also the Wilt thing.

 

[Ballscientist]

Jerry West "purchase" a manager in the Magic organization. the manager told West that Magic offered Shaq $115M contract, then Lakers offered Shaq $120M contract. It was a bid at that time.

In my culture, this is morally dirty.

 

[Hakeem]

I always thought Shaq despised the Wilt comparisons...

Anyway, he had always wanted to play for LA. He said as much soon after he was drafted.

 

[JoeD]

I always thought Shaq despised the Wilt comparisons...

Why do you say that? He said himself "I'm the baddest thing since Wilt Chamberlain."