Why did Shaq leave the Lakers? There’s been a ton of reporting – and even more speculation – about the big man’s departure from Los Angeles over the years, for sure! Now a new story and a little snippet of a year-old video are shedding more light on the story.
We don’t need to remind you… OK, maybe a little bit: Shaq and Kobe Bryant may have formed what many fans argue is the greatest 1-2 punch of an NBA duo in the history of the game.
Yet while all that success was happening on the court, it’s never been quite clear what the relationship was between the two superstars off the hardwood. After Kobe’s death, Shaq has spoken about that relationship many times, and how it was patched up and became a strong friendship in later years.
But back in playing days…? The record is murky. And Shaq’s departure from the Lakers was always seen as the last chapter of that (assumed) stormy relationship. With Shaq and Kobe in Lakers unis, the team had an incredible run, including a three-peat that may never be seen again.
Why did Shaq leave? For years, it’s been assumed by many that the personality clashes between him and Kobe resulted in enough friction that Shaq was traded to the Miami Heat… and it’s the common NBA-fan belief that Kobe made it all happen.
But now comes the new story and the resurfaced video. On camera, O’Neal talks about the real reason he left the Purple and Gold. Check the video clip below.
On the video, Shaq reported that as almost always is the case in sports, money played a big part in the decision for him to leave the west coast.
On the video, Shaq says: “The reason I got traded, it wasn’t about me and Kobe (Bryant’s) beef. (It was) because they (the Lakers) wanted me to take less money. I’m not doing that!”
Shaq goes on to say he still knew he was worth more than the Lakers were willing to pay: “I got money, I had money. I just should’ve been like ‘alright, I raise you enough. It’s your team now. I know what I’m going to do. I’m still going to do my 28 (points), and 10 (rebounds)’. But I was like ‘Nah, I want $150 (million).”
That’s certainly a different narrative than the Kobe-and-Shaq-beef story we’ve heard down through the years. Is it the “real” story? Hard to tell at this point. But it does seem to make sense. Shaq was keenly aware of his value to a team, and we’re all aware of his unwillingness to take less than he feels he’s worth. (Great wisdom for all of us, BTW.)
Did the big man get the big money? Well, almost. In the move to Miami, Shaq signed on for a five-year, $100 million dollar contract. And things went pretty well for O’Neal and the Heat. With Shaq on the floor and former Lakers coach Pat Riley at the helm, the Heat beat the Dallas Mavericks in the 2006 Championship.
Even at (do the math) $20 million per year over the five year deal, that amount still made Shaq one of the highest-paid players of the day. So leaving LA? Not a bad move, money…career…Championship-wise.