May 26, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Shaquille O'Neal before the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Minnesota Timberwolves in game three of the western conference finals for the 2024 NBA playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Lakers Signed Shaquille O'Neal To Richest NBA Contract 28 Years Ago

Originally posted on Back in the Day NBA on SI
By Scott Salomon | Last updated Jul 18, 2024 3:35 PM ET

On July 18, 1996, Shaquille O'Neal and the Los Angeles Lakers agreed to what was then the largest contract in the history of sports. The contract was worth $120 million over seven years.

This came just two days after an Orlando Sentinel telephone poll where 91.3 percent of the callers surveyed did not believe O'Neal was worth those kind of dollars. The Magic's final offer to O'Neal was a 4-year, $54 million pact.

O'Neal took the poll in stride.

28 YEARS AGO TODAY
Shaq signed a 7-year/$121M deal with the Lakers.

The signing was 2 days after a local Orlando paper published a poll saying 91.3% of callers didn't think Shaq was worth $115M.

The Magic's initial offer to Shaq was 4-years/$54M. pic.twitter.com/QkPbvrPxNg
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) July 18, 2024

"The media in Orlando bashed me so much, I stopped looking at the paper after my second year," O'Neal said at the time. "When I read stuff like that, it doesn't make me weaker, it actually makes myself stronger."

O'Neal said it was not about the money. He thought it was time to leave Orlando and move somewhere else. He said being a military child, he was used to a change of scenery every three or four years.

"This is going to be one of the hardest decisions of my life, I think I made the right decision," O'Neal said. "It wasn't about money because I just love to play the game. I just want to thank Jerry West and the LA Lakers for giving me a good fair deal. Money was not the main factor here."

Speaking of money, O'Neal then had to get a plug in for his sponsorship deals.

"I just want to go have fun, be young, drink Pepsi, wear Reebok and have fun," O'Neal said. "I'm just happy to receive a good deal. I'm just happy to be here."

This article first appeared on Back in the Day NBA on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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