Shaq's press conference to announce that he was taking his talents to Hollywood and leaving the Orlando Magic for the Los Angeles Lakers during the summer Olympics. (July 1996)
It's funny they say 7 years 120 million like it's a ton of cash at this time 120M is still a ton of cash, but niggas are getting 5 year 200M contracts now
I'd sure say! Made my adolescence into my teens, Shaq and Kobe LAKESHOW, and then he was gone by my adulthood! ... By then it was all Kobe for the next decade plus and it's still Kobe GOAT 👑
So I guess the Dwight Howard era never existed, right? I'd say Dwight leaving damaged Orlando a lot more, Orlando became a lottery team almost immediately after Dwight left.
charismatic9904 Orlando in the Dwight/Stan Van Gundy era had more than just "1 good season". I'm not just talking about the playoffs, I'm referring to regular season success too. Even after Shaq left Orlando never had a losing record until the year before Dwight was drafted. Dwight left and Orlando instantly became a lottery team, Dwight leaving hurt Orlando a lot faster.
I was born and raised two hours from Orlando, Shaq was and still is my all-time favorite player. He left Orlando just before my 16th birthday and needless to say, I was heartbroken. But I loved him so much as a player that I remained a fan of his through his whole career. Looking back now 25 years later, 3 championships in LA, Penny Hardaway having injuries shortly after in Orlando, Shaq absolutely made the right choice. I still have my blue Orlando Shaq jersey in my attic, got older and fatter so it doesn’t fit, but I bought a blue Orlando Shaq jersey size 3x, 2 weeks ago. Wearing it with pride, bringing it full circle.
My dad always talked about how he used to take my older brothers and cousins to the Lakers game at the forum. He said he hated how the Lakers got Shaq and ticket went up. I was a baby in 1996 and as I grew up I told my Dad that I wouldn’t get mad because the Lakers got a 3-peat
The magic deserved what they got. They low ball offered him, and the local paper here did a poll and 85% said he didn't deserve the money so he wanted out after that.
+Mike Jones True, don't forget that at that time, the CBA was completely different with the set of the contracts, it was just like a bid, now that's different, and yea, idk why the magic fans (85%) said shaq isn't the max that's why Barkley said the 85% stupid idiots lol
Bob Donald definitely low balled especially when Alonzo Mourning, who hadn't really done anything close to what Shaq had done, got a way bigger offer than him. He was one of the most dominant centers at the time and was still young...and you don't do everything you can to keep him?
orlando offered him the same deal, 7 years, 119 million. Shaq wanted to go the LA bc its LA. He had gotten to big for Orlando. "Big Fish in a little Pond" as he would say later
They matched the deal at the 11th hour after dragging their feet for months. They lowballed him and never seemed committed to doing whatever it took to keep him. Especially once Mourning got his 7-year, $105 million deal. At that point, the Magic should have been committed to making Shaq the highest paid center. And they botched it.
Orlando Tragic: Incorrect, Orlando matched after Shaq made up his mind already. They had almost 2 months to give him the contract he wanted. While Shaq loved LA as a city, that wasnt even a realistic possibility until a long while after offseason started. That was the Magics negotiation to Lose. And they did
This just shows what a really nice guy Shaq was,he spoke so eloquently and he looked totally embarassed when Jerry West was heaping all those nice compliments on him.
The pieces of the Laker Dynasty of the 2000s started with the acquisition of Shaq, then traded for Kobe Bryant and drafting Derek Fisher on Draft Night '96, and eventually hiring Phil Jackson (Thanks Jerry Krause) in '99.
In the overall scheme of things, the extra money he got offered by LA was not a huge amount more than what Orlando could offer him, but LA is a big market franchise and LA has the resources to build around him. LA is considered one of the greatest franchises in basketball. At the time it was led by fantastic management with legends Jerry Buss and Jerry West. There are many things to factor in and I 100% agree that people are way too overly critical of Lebron's decision. Its called free agency.
That entire summer of free agency class: Shaq, M.J., Juwan Howard, Kenny Anderson, Alonzo Mourning, Allan Houston, Dikembe Mutombo, Chris Gatling, etc..., along with the 96 draft considered the best ever with Allen Iverson, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Ray Allen, Stephon Marbury, Antoine Walker, Kerry Kittles, Steve Nash, Peja Stojakovic, Jermaine O'Neal, Derek Fisher, Jerome Williams, undrafted Ben Wallace, and some kid named Kobe Bryant. 5 future NBA HOF's in that draft class (Iverson, Allen, Nash, Wallace, Bryant...and maybe as many as 7 with J. O'Neal and Marbury), that offseason was the craziest I could remember.
Lmao 5:35 talking about ticket prices going up from $9 to $21 ohhh my goodness that's crackhead prices compared to today's shit...can't even get into college games with $21
+Trey Hull west built every championship team in LAs history except 2009, 10. He also built Memphis into what they are and is helping the Warriors now. The man is the logo for a reason.
Shaquille O'neal has said recently he regrets leaving Orlando. His argument was a little guarded, he said he left to go to the Lakers because it was a business decision. Former Magic GM Pat Williams said they topped the Lakers offer at the 11th hour, but O'neal had already made his mind up to leave by then.
Shaq has said he never had the same camaraderie with his Lakers teammates that he had with the Magic. He also suggests in his comments that "I actually wish they made it a law that whoever drafts you, you gotta stay there your whole career". Which kind of translates that he wished he was remembered for playing one team his whole career rather then being a journeymen on several.
David Carlyon yeah, yeah. he regrets, camaraderie, blah blah blah. he won three rings in LA. if you really think he would change that for better relations with his teammates, you're not even naive. you're dumb
In 2004 after they lost to Detroit, the Lakers were in Hawaii for a team camp playing against each other, Shaq had a good game, he was asking for new 💰 salary. But Jerry Bus didn't want to pay him, they took requires on him, they didn't want to bring him back. But that 120 million was worth it, even during the beef moments with Kobe.
One of the best decisions he ever made as it turned out and I say it with no disrespect to orlando.i said it because of what he ended up achieving with the lakers.
it's different because this is actually a standard press conference that every major player has when they sign with a new team. lebron held a 1 hour tv special interview with a crowd of children, named "The Decision", and he didn't even say where he was going until like 55 minutes into the program.
If shaq would have stayed, the magic would have eventually given my beloved bulls problems and may just have beaten them in 98 and won the title! Especially that 98 season when Chicago showed some weakening! So I like to thank shaq for going west!
The day Shaq took his talents to Hollywood. The best free agent acquisition in NBA history! if the Heat win a few titles, LeBron James could surpass this, but right now, this is the best one because of the rings.
shaq is by far the most dominant center of my generation. his weight combined with his agility is unstoppable. his shooting is awful, but he evidently doesn't need it to beat the competition.
Let me rephrase that, I mean in the "Shaq and Phil Jackson era" of the Lakers, in the pre Phil Jackson era from 1997-99 he was clearly the taking the most shots on the team.
Shaq started talking about not taking away from players game and mentioned Kobe.. Kobe haven’t even played a game in the nba yet everybody seen his potential.
true i went last season to a game against the suns 90 bucks in the rafters the real fans cant afford to go to games consistently the real fans are outside at the espn zone or at home true hardcore laker fans we bleed purple and gold!
funny thing is ecery time he left a better team the team he went to drafted a future hall of famer in kobe and d wade that very first year he changed teams, he is pretty lucky
Excuse me but how is this different then Lebron? He went on live tv and said he's not playing for Orlando anymore. Then he says its not for the money when it clearly is. Orlando had a better team than La at the time so how was it not about money? Lebron took less money and even donated money. Why do ppl look for reasons to hate Lebron?
Jerry West basically got Shaq to LA and KD to Golden State.
What a closer.
He got kobe to La too
ron artest That was a draft day trade though.
the logo..
MrTommyg024 read the story behind it
MrTommyg024: Jerry West brought Kawhi to Clippers and Paul George as well
As a kid in 1996 this was huge news.
+dragonsleeper31471 it sure was
krlm2280 boooooo
dragonsleeper31471 fuck outta here
Durant Is the best booooo lmao. Jerry west is the reason durant is on the Warriors. Warriors are shit compared to the Lakers.
Durant Is the best you had that same feeling when kd went to gs or you been a kd fan
3 peat was worth 120 million
+baxter baxterfm Money comes and goes. Banners are there forever.
The magic dont respect him
actually was a bad deal for shaq and good deal for us lakers
It's funny they say 7 years 120 million like it's a ton of cash at this time
120M is still a ton of cash, but niggas are getting 5 year 200M contracts now
shamicheal lewis shaq won titles in LA and then Heat so id say that was a good deal for him.
Jerry West brought in Shaq, Kobe, and D. Fisher -- pretty fair offseason for a GM.
than later on brought Phil Jackson and that really got us going!!
He also help the Lakers draft Magic Johnson and James Worthy in the 80s.
Jerry is the greatest GM or upper management figure in nba history
worth every single dollar
I'd sure say! Made my adolescence into my teens, Shaq and Kobe LAKESHOW, and then he was gone by my adulthood! ... By then it was all Kobe for the next decade plus and it's still Kobe GOAT 👑
Orlando hasn't recovered since.
Ok then might as well put an asterisk on EVERYONES career since no 1 man has ever won a title. Everyone had a sidekick. your argument is stupid.
Your still referring to the fact that he has an asterisk because he left to pursue a title..prime or not. Thus your still wrong.
So I guess the Dwight Howard era never existed, right? I'd say Dwight leaving damaged Orlando a lot more, Orlando became a lottery team almost immediately after Dwight left.
1 good seasons doesn't make up for the last 18 years of mediocrity.
charismatic9904
Orlando in the Dwight/Stan Van Gundy era had more than just "1 good season". I'm not just talking about the playoffs, I'm referring to regular season success too. Even after Shaq left Orlando never had a losing record until the year before Dwight was drafted. Dwight left and Orlando instantly became a lottery team, Dwight leaving hurt Orlando a lot faster.
I was born and raised two hours from Orlando, Shaq was and still is my all-time favorite player. He left Orlando just before my 16th birthday and needless to say, I was heartbroken. But I loved him so much as a player that I remained a fan of his through his whole career. Looking back now 25 years later, 3 championships in LA, Penny Hardaway having injuries shortly after in Orlando, Shaq absolutely made the right choice. I still have my blue Orlando Shaq jersey in my attic, got older and fatter so it doesn’t fit, but I bought a blue Orlando Shaq jersey size 3x, 2 weeks ago. Wearing it with pride, bringing it full circle.
this!
Im from Orlando too. But, born in Polk county. That mess hurt too much!
Don you think he quit and isn't as good as his career suggets
shaq made the right choice. Lakers forever!
oh man.. that ESPN 2 logo in the top corner.. nostalgia hits hard watching these old clips
Broke my heart. The '95 Magic were my boys.
Shaq made a mistake. he would be Orlando magics number one player In the history books
@@realtalkroscoeg best decision of his career😂
@@realtalkroscoeg i don’t think he regrets it lol
Orlando wasn’t paying.
Till nick anderson broke this team
tickets went from $9.00 to 21.00 holy shit tickets were cheap back then
it's called inflation
God ROBERTO SACRE inflation is probably under $50
@@1231omg , $21.00 in 1996 is $34.40 in 2019
My dad always talked about how he used to take my older brothers and cousins to the Lakers game at the forum. He said he hated how the Lakers got Shaq and ticket went up. I was a baby in 1996 and as I grew up I told my Dad that I wouldn’t get mad because the Lakers got a 3-peat
Man I remember how exciting this day was for me as a Laker fan. Jerry West is the man
El Doe boooooooooo
@El Doe YEAH!! I Remember To! But, That Was Then This Is Now!
This was BIG back in 1996. I was turning 12 the following month but I remember this like it was yesterday.
Did Jerry West really compare signing Shaq to the birth of his children?? Damn they really wanted Shaq that's why Orlando lost him
Lmaoo💯💯
Lol
This was July 1996 my birthday month. I turned 7 years old....man this is a piece of history now my age matches shaqs jersey in Orlando
Time goes by fast. Seems like yesterday. Go LA!
After watching the 30 for 30 magic moment, damn, felt bad for the magic kingdom.....
The magic deserved what they got. They low ball offered him, and the local paper here did a poll and 85% said he didn't deserve the money so he wanted out after that.
+Mike Jones True, don't forget that at that time, the CBA was completely different with the set of the contracts, it was just like a bid, now that's different, and yea, idk why the magic fans (85%) said shaq isn't the max that's why Barkley said the 85% stupid idiots lol
+Mike Jones I wouldnt think a random poll had any significance
Because he eventually got 3 in a row, which could have probably been done in orlando.
Bob Donald definitely low balled especially when Alonzo Mourning, who hadn't really done anything close to what Shaq had done, got a way bigger offer than him. He was one of the most dominant centers at the time and was still young...and you don't do everything you can to keep him?
being hooper in the 90's is such a blessing i'm glad i grew watching this guys played
Shaq deserved every penny he was asking for
In 1996 Shaq wanted To Join the Lakers to Win a NBA Championship.
+Bobbie Brown Get Shaq then Get kobe lol awesome stuff
20 dollars for a laker tickets wish it was that price now 😩
I predict he will win probably 3 rings with lakers.
And 1 with miami 😉
LOL the dude asking the question said "why did you choose los angeles over the los angeles lakers?" twice
Ryan Dupont haha sports journalists are dumber than TSA agents.
Its happen to celtic if they dont resign isiah thomas
Felton321 what
As huge as this was to bring in the "Big Unit", it wasn't until ZEN MASTER came to town that the Lakers took it to another level.
Love watching vintage news
I still remember when this happened as a kid. The day I got my shaq lakers jersey, I was ecstatic!
Orlando Magic Management Were to Blame
for Shaq Leaving
Thank You for that one Orlando!! appreciate it!!
the tickets went from $9 to $21...... wow
Had to pay part of that Shaq salary.
+Samuel Sheriff still a bargain...
Losing a 24 year old Shaq is criminal. Was so pumped as a 14 year old lakers fan in 1996. Classic. Behind Magic, Shaq is my favorite laker ever
Same here. I also was 14 and surprised he left Orlando. Was happy as heck though
Dr.Buss & Jerry West best 1-2 punch ever! Lakers forever.
on this day i went to my homeboy house and we was yelling hell yeah it was great to be a laker fan
krlm2280 boooooooo
Yes it was. The Lakers traded for Kobe, used cap $$$ to lure Shaq to LA without losing and important pieces
Hey Orlando he was WORTH THE MONEY!!!
Shaq may have had an ego, but it for some reason it fit with his personality. He produced and he lived up to his name.
3 LA championships... the top top players should have an ego...
orlando offered him the same deal, 7 years, 119 million. Shaq wanted to go the LA bc its LA. He had gotten to big for Orlando. "Big Fish in a little Pond" as he would say later
They matched the deal at the 11th hour after dragging their feet for months. They lowballed him and never seemed committed to doing whatever it took to keep him. Especially once Mourning got his 7-year, $105 million deal. At that point, the Magic should have been committed to making Shaq the highest paid center. And they botched it.
There's nothing bigger then the state of Florida!
Well he did came back to Florida after the Lakers (traded), but would be in a Heat jersey
Orlando Tragic: Incorrect, Orlando matched after Shaq made up his mind already. They had almost 2 months to give him the contract he wanted. While Shaq loved LA as a city, that wasnt even a realistic possibility until a long while after offseason started. That was the Magics negotiation to Lose. And they did
Lol, Orlando low-balled him, should've offered him the supermax first day into the free agency.
It's been more than 15 years since I saw this clip, thanks for uploading.
This just shows what a really nice guy Shaq was,he spoke so eloquently and he looked totally embarassed when Jerry West was heaping all those nice compliments on him.
The pieces of the Laker Dynasty of the 2000s started with the acquisition of Shaq, then traded for Kobe Bryant and drafting Derek Fisher on Draft Night '96, and eventually hiring Phil Jackson (Thanks Jerry Krause) in '99.
"Look for a change on the ft line" 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔
In the overall scheme of things, the extra money he got offered by LA was not a huge amount more than what Orlando could offer him, but LA is a big market franchise and LA has the resources to build around him. LA is considered one of the greatest franchises in basketball. At the time it was led by fantastic management with legends Jerry Buss and Jerry West. There are many things to factor in and I 100% agree that people are way too overly critical of Lebron's decision. Its called free agency.
That entire summer of free agency class: Shaq, M.J., Juwan Howard, Kenny Anderson, Alonzo Mourning, Allan Houston, Dikembe Mutombo, Chris Gatling, etc..., along with the 96 draft considered the best ever with Allen Iverson, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Ray Allen, Stephon Marbury, Antoine Walker, Kerry Kittles, Steve Nash, Peja Stojakovic, Jermaine O'Neal, Derek Fisher, Jerome Williams, undrafted Ben Wallace, and some kid named Kobe Bryant. 5 future NBA HOF's in that draft class (Iverson, Allen, Nash, Wallace, Bryant...and maybe as many as 7 with J. O'Neal and Marbury), that offseason was the craziest I could remember.
I miss the 1990's and 2000's NBA. Truly a Great era
BIG SHAQ 34# LIKE WHAT!!! L.A. LAKERS 1996-2004!!!
Lmao 5:35 talking about ticket prices going up from $9 to $21 ohhh my goodness that's crackhead prices compared to today's shit...can't even get into college games with $21
this stuck out to me too
KJ Desravins SMH.. you can buy a beer at Madison Square Garden for $9 lmao.. and 2 beers is more then $21.. if people only knew the times to come lmao
KJ Desravins A beer costs about $21 now as sports venues.
KJ Desravins $21 in 1996 is about $32 in 2015. Still cheap as hell compared to modern Lakers games.
Jordan had 30 in 98
Jerry West best talent judge a hair over Pop in San Antonio
no.. just stop
+Trey Hull west built every championship team in LAs history except 2009, 10. He also built Memphis into what they are and is helping the Warriors now. The man is the logo for a reason.
+james david manning you dam right he is
Funky smelly Ass shut up smelly ass
james david manning technically he helped build the 09-10 championship teams too as he was the GM in Memphis who traded Gasol to the Lakers.
"i've been shooting free throws, look for a change on the line" LOL oh shaq most dominant center of my generation
Shaquille O'neal has said recently he regrets leaving Orlando. His argument was a little guarded, he said he left to go to the Lakers because it was a business decision. Former Magic GM Pat Williams said they topped the Lakers offer at the 11th hour, but O'neal had already made his mind up to leave by then.
David Carlyon A 3-peat, an MVP season, and a godly prime with hall-of-fame level play wasn't a bad trade-off though.
Shaq has said he never had the same camaraderie with his Lakers teammates that he had with the Magic. He also suggests in his comments that "I actually wish they made it a law that whoever drafts you, you gotta stay there your whole career". Which kind of translates that he wished he was remembered for playing one team his whole career rather then being a journeymen on several.
David Carlyon
yeah, yeah. he regrets, camaraderie, blah blah blah. he won three rings in LA. if you really think he would change that for better relations with his teammates, you're not even naive. you're dumb
ktoś tam I love your basketball expertise 'you're dumb'. I'm not even going to justify you're response because it's obvious your a TROLL.
ktoś tam He won those rings more than 3 years later with the Bulls coach. Without Phil Jackson he's lucky to get even 1 there.
Damn this is classic
Great decision. Great GM.
I didn't know Shaq had the press conference in my hometown!! :)
My magic have been rebuilding ever since
Thanks I Remember That
Wow I was so young when this happened. Thanks @AmcNeill1992
In 2004 after they lost to Detroit, the Lakers were in Hawaii for a team camp playing against each other, Shaq had a good game, he was asking for new 💰 salary. But Jerry Bus didn't want to pay him, they took requires on him, they didn't want to bring him back. But that 120 million was worth it, even during the beef moments with Kobe.
Wrong LA gave Shaq an extension in 2000. 3 years 88 million dollars. His Original contract ended in 2003
@@melvynsngltn27 Did you not read my whole commet? 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Man that first guy couldn't get that question right
Damn his voice was so different than.
It Was Different From The Shaq We See Now
These nuts
You are right, he won three finals MVP's in a row! Most dominant man in the game for those years on end.
One of the best decisions he ever made as it turned out and I say it with no disrespect to orlando.i said it because of what he ended up achieving with the lakers.
BOSS!
Magically will appear with the lakers 😂
2001 Lakers in my opinion were the greatest team in NBA history
it's different because this is actually a standard press conference that every major player has when they sign with a new team. lebron held a 1 hour tv special interview with a crowd of children, named "The Decision", and he didn't even say where he was going until like 55 minutes into the program.
If shaq would have stayed, the magic would have eventually given my beloved bulls problems and may just have beaten them in 98 and won the title! Especially that 98 season when Chicago showed some weakening! So I like to thank shaq for going west!
Other than Jordan nobody was bigger than SHAQ in the 90’s this was huge news at the moment me being a kid at the time!
20 dollars for a ticket. i wishhhhh lol
Wow 120 million I hope he lives up to it
You do realize this was 23 years ago right??
you know it wierd not seeing shaq playing any more even though it has been 2 years
Shaq went to to the Lakers becouse he thought he could be a movie star. didnt really happen but he did win many titles!
That laker hat goes hard.
history will repeat itself with dwight.
TRUE G
"relocated" is the right word he went to like 5 different teams!
Best thing shaq did was leave reebok and start shaqs shoes..always been a money man
Exactly
The day Shaq took his talents to Hollywood. The best free agent acquisition in NBA history! if the Heat win a few titles, LeBron James could surpass this, but right now, this is the best one because of the rings.
Your comment Aged like fine wine
120 Million in the 90's ?? SHEESH 😳 on TOP of endorsements? Run me by bag
digging the hoop earing shaq
2018 just watching Lebron joining Lakers
LeBron James and Kevin Durant all pulled a Shaq...... I loved seeing that
12:13 - "And Kobe Bryant"
the original lakers snapback #saucy
The first guy asking kept messing up.
1:39 MARK. my reaction was yehoooooo!!!!!!!
1996 - $9 for the cheap seats to $21 at the forum?
carmello anthony lol, that made my day
shaq is by far the most dominant center of my generation. his weight combined with his agility is unstoppable. his shooting is awful, but he evidently doesn't need it to beat the competition.
Back then when everyone in this video were young and beginning their careers.
Let me rephrase that, I mean in the "Shaq and Phil Jackson era" of the Lakers, in the pre Phil Jackson era from 1997-99 he was clearly the taking the most shots on the team.
I second that opinion.
Shaq started talking about not taking away from players game and mentioned Kobe.. Kobe haven’t even played a game in the nba yet everybody seen his potential.
MittenboyMouse oh definitely, his skill set was well known and everyone knew greatness was coming...
SHAQ, KOBE, PICK UP WHEVER YOU WANT, IF WE DIDNT HAVE P JACKSON WE WOULDNT HAVE 3 PEATED
this was history though...
true i went last season to a game against the suns 90 bucks in the rafters the real fans cant afford to go to games consistently the real fans are outside at the espn zone or at home true hardcore laker fans we bleed purple and gold!
"why you chose LA over the LA lakers" the reporter repeated his incorrect question not once but twice
7/117. Back in those days sheesh.
obviously he paid a state tax. but youre crazy if you dont think jerry west gave him a bonus. especially with the ticket prices being raised.
funny thing is ecery time he left a better team the team he went to drafted a future hall of famer in kobe and d wade that very first year he changed teams, he is pretty lucky
Jerry West to Shaq: “I’ll see what I can do”.
Shaq: “I like this guy”.
Excuse me but how is this different then Lebron? He went on live tv and said he's not playing for Orlando anymore. Then he says its not for the money when it clearly is. Orlando had a better team than La at the time so how was it not about money? Lebron took less money and even donated money. Why do ppl look for reasons to hate Lebron?
We then took Dwight from them. Didn't work out the first time but Dwight will get a ring now. Lakers 2020!
this looks like a press conference
I remember JT the brick breaking the news on the radio lol