Millionaire Shaquille O’Neal Was Ready to Play for 0 Dollars An Entire Year If He Failed to Meet 1 Big Condition from Lakers

Shaquille O’Neal was an automatic superstar as soon as the Orlando Magic drafted him as their first pick. Everybody knew the level Shaq was going to reach in his career. So it was natural for the team to provide him with a big contract. He earned his first million dollars as soon as he signed for the Orlando Magic.

The Lakers deal, 4 years after his debut was enormous. The Lakers were in transition at the time. They had just acquired the future of the franchise Kobe Bryant and they were aiming upwards. There were a lot of issues within the franchise that season.

The head coach and young Kobe also had a rift as he was not given consistent playing time in his rookie years. But Shaq was a positive influence on the team. The duo Shaq and Kobe created history.

Shaq was an out-and-out team man and always thought in favor of what the team needed. Although he did reveal one thing that he asked for his selfish needs from Jerry West at the time in the Lakers.

WATCH THIS STORY: Shaq’s illustrious sports career.

He also promised something and claimed that if that didn’t happen he would play for free. Something only Shaq could.

Shaquille O’Neal reveals bizarre demand and the condition which would have meant him playing for free

On the recent episode, The Big Bacon on The Big Podcast with Shaq, O’Neal revealed an interesting conversation he had with Jerry West when he joined the Lakers. 

“I had all the stipulations in my contract. The only thing that great Jerry West let me do, that nobody else could do. I said, Jerry, I’ll agree to all this if you give me one thing — you gotta let me ride a motorcycle. And he did it. I actually asked him for motorcycle and scuba diving.”

“They took out scuba diving and allowed me to ride a motorcycle,” said Shaq. “Old school veterans like me when we see stuff like this, we get jealous. — For them numbers, I wouldn’t get you no problems. And I’d get you 35, 15, and I guarantee you two championships out of those five years. If not, the last year I’ll play for free.”

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – JUNE 12: Kobe Bryant, Lindsey Hunter and Shaquille O’Neal of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrate following Game Four of the NBA Finals against the New Jersey Nets on June 12, 2002 at Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Sporting News via Getty Images via Getty Images)

The conversation was about the deal offered to Kyrie Irving which would mean he would earn $247 million over the course of 5 years. Shaq advised that he shouldn’t leave this deal and “take the bird in hand”.

ALSO READ: Shaq reveals hilarious story from his initial playoff run with Kobe.

But he also gave his example where he guaranteed results for such an enormous deal when he was in Lakers. Now the deal for Shaq was not as big as this in terms of money but even at that time it was a huge money deal and Shaq delivered what he promised.

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