- Shaquille O’Neal left the Los Angeles Lakers in 2004, with many suggesting it was because of his beef with Kobe Bryant
- The Big Diesel revealed that while it played a part, there were bigger issues in the contract negotiations
- Shaquille O’Neal wrote about how the Lakers asked him to take a $10 million pay cut despite all his achievements
Shaquille O’Neal on the Los Angeles Lakers was the most dominant player the NBA has ever seen. He didn’t end his career with the franchise, though, and while many thought that had to do with Kobe Bryant, he once spoke about his other reasons.
“He also knew that sooner or later, two alpha males were going to tear each other limb from limb. Only one alpha male is usually left standing,” O’Neal wrote in his book, Shaq: Uncut.
“By February, our negotiations with the Lakers were at an impasse. They were offering two years at $21 million a season, and that wasn’t going to work.
“After I won three championships and three Finals MVPs, they wanted me to take a $10 million pay cut — and they were willing to guarantee only two years.”
Shaquille O’Neal turned 32 years old in 2004 and was fast approaching the end of his prime. It makes sense that the Los Angeles Lakers didn’t want to give him a massive deal with a raise, but it’s still a move that may have cost them another championship.
Shaquille O’Neal And Kobe Bryant’s Rivalry Was Still The Main Factor In His Departure
Shaquille O’Neal may have felt the disrespect after not getting the money he thought he deserved, but the big man might not have had those issues if not for his beef with Kobe Bryant.
As he admitted, they both wanted to be the alpha of the team, and it was so bad between them by the end, that Shaquille O’Neal once wanted to fight Kobe Bryant in the parking lot.
The two eventually reconciled and sorted out their issues, but the Lakers’ team broke up because of their problems with one another more than anything.
Shaquille O’Neal also got what he wanted from the Miami Heat, who gave him a 5-year, $100 million contract. It wasn’t much per year, but a long-term deal and a championship is a decent return for anyone.
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