Shaquille O’Neal probably is the most dominant player the NBA has ever seen. With his backboard-breaking dunks and his incredible scoring skills, Shaq, back in his prime, was one of the best players in the league.
Drafted by the Orlando Magic, Shaq found himself in probably a perfect situation. Surrounded by decent enough role players and a young prodigy in Penny Hardaway joining the side in 1993, the Magic looked like they were building something special. But after a Finals appearance and 4 seasons later, Shaq, who was a free agent, joined the Los Angeles Lakers in a shocking move back then.
The move made the most sense for Shaq, who was joining one of the most prestigious organizations in the Lakers and signed the most lucrative deal at the time, $120 million for 7 years.
This kind of deal was unheard of at the time and some of the superstars did not think that O’Neal was worth the money. One of them was Bulls legend, Dennis Rodman. According to Basketball Network, Rodman wasn’t the biggest fan of the investment and he certainly didn’t mince his words.
“If I were an NBA owner, I wouldn’t give this guy $120 million.”
Shaq understandably wasn’t the biggest fan of the comment. In an interview, Shaq clapped back at the 5-time NBA champion. (1:11 onwards):
“It’s funny when a guy like Dennis Rodman was with a lesser team he didn’t talk as much but when he got behind Jordan and Pippen and they do all the work and he does less work he runs his mouth. He knows he wants to say something he can say it to me. He never says it to me on the court, never.”
It is fair to say that Rodman was absolutely wrong with his judgment. While Shaq’s initial years with the Lakers were a struggle, as soon as a young guard by the name of Kobe Bryant started developing, the Purple and Gold’s glory days were back.
Winning three titles in a row, Shaq led the Lakers to a historical three-peat and was clearly the best player on the court, winning three Finals MVP trophies as well. Not only that, but the ‘Diesel’ also won his only MVP trophy during his prime with the Lakers.
With the Lakers becoming the most successful team in the league for the 7 years Shaq was with them, it is clear to see why the $120 million was well spent.
