Shaquille O’Neal is widely known for his humor as much as he is known for dominating the NBA during his prime, like arguably no player has before or since. Shaq was a force of nature on the court, but off it, he has always been laid-back and goofy, and both traits have landed him a successful career as a member of the media since he retired from the NBA.
When fans think of Shaq, they think of him as a Laker, but many also remember his stints with the Orlando Magic and the Miami Heat. What many forget, including Shaq himself at times, surely, is the fact that he bounced around the league with a few teams before calling it quits on his career.
Shaq played for the Phoenix Suns, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Boston Celtics before he retired and during his introductory press conference, had a few jokes to make. Sitting alongside Steve Kerr, who was General Manager of the Suns at the time, and Head Coach Mike D’Antoni, Shaq joked about how much he would be earning with the Suns, and it was incidentally covered by his future colleagues on Inside The NBA afterward.
Interviewer: “The medical staff that they have here, do you think your career will be extended?
Shaquille O’Neal: “Yes. I’ve given a full commitment to this medical staff that I will be there every day early, before and after practice to do whatever it takes to keep me going for the next 10 years, and I look forward to getting my next $200 million for 2 years extension.”
Steve Kerr: *Laughing* “I’ll have to talk to Robert about that.”
Shaquille O’Neal joined the Phoenix Suns in 2008, and would only be a part of the league for 3 more seasons before calling it quits on a hugely successful career. So while he never did see that $200 million extension he joked about, he probably made that much in endorsements and media deals alone following his retirement.
