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How close Magic Johnson came to joining Shaquille O’Neal – Kobe Bryant LA Lakers in 1996

Originally posted on HITC | By Aaditya Krishnamurthy | Last updated Jan 7, 2026 1:00 PM ET

Magic Johnson had the opportunity to play with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal on the LA Lakers.

Few “what if” scenarios in NBA history are as fascinating as the one involving Magic Johnson’s 1996 comeback and the start of the Kobe Bryant–Shaquille O’Neal era in Los Angeles.

The Lakers’ timeline almost produced an incredible overlap between three of basketball’s biggest names — and it missed happening by just a few months.

What began as a short-lived return to the league for Johnson nearly turned into one of the most remarkable rosters ever assembled.

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Magic Johnson’s return came just before Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal joined LA Lakers

After four years away from the NBA, Magic Johnson made his second return to the LA Lakers midway through the 1995–96 season.

He averaged 14.6 points, 6.9 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game, showing flashes of the brilliance that defined his Hall of Fame career. But by the following summer, the Lakers were evolving quickly.

On July 18, 1996, Los Angeles officially signed Shaquille O’Neal to a seven-year, $120 million deal — one of the largest contracts at the time. Just weeks later, the franchise completed the trade for Kobe Bryant.

As reported by the Los Angeles Times, Johnson admitted that O’Neal’s arrival made him seriously consider extending his return into the following season.

“It definitely gets me thinking I can come back,” Johnson said. “It gets the juices going. I couldn’t sleep last night with the thought of Shaq signing with the Lakers.”

Had Johnson delayed his final retirement by just six months, he would have shared the court with both Bryant and O’Neal, forming a trio that would have combined experience, youth, and dominance in a way never seen before in Lakers history.

Magic Johnson could have formed legendary trio

Magic Johnson’s comeback ended after the 1995–96 season, when he retired from the LA Lakers for good at age 36.

By the start of the 1996–97 campaign, O’Neal and Bryant had become the new cornerstones of the Lakers, setting the stage for a dynasty that would deliver three straight championships just years later.

In interviews since, Johnson has expressed no regrets about his decision to step away, but even he has acknowledged how surreal it would have been to line up alongside two players who would soon dominate the league.

The timing was so close that Johnson had even discussed the idea with friends and his agent, Lon Rosen.

Johnson left behind a legacy that inspired the duo he nearly joined, as O’Neal and Bryant would dominate the early 2000s. The thought of them sharing the floor remains one of the great “what ifs.”

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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