'My house is 80,000 freaking square feet. You think I wanted to just leave that thing?' - Shaq opens up about his drive to stay in Orlando

The summer of 1996 was pivotal for Shaquille O'Neal and the Orlando Magic. After making it to the NBA Finals in 1995 and then the Eastern Conference Finals in 1996, the Magic had firmly established themselves as a serious title contender for years to come. However, a massive hurdle stood in their way — the contract negotiations with Shaq.

At the time, Shaq was one of the biggest stars in the league. Despite playing only 54 games in his last season with the Magic due to an injury, he still managed to make an incredible impact. He averaged 26.6 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game. He also earned an All-Star and All-NBA Third Team berth, which is more than proving his worth in the league.

But as the negotiations with the Magic dragged on, Shaq's frustration grew, leaving the door ajar for the Los Angeles Lakers to make their bid.

Opportunity to play for championships

The Lakers are undoubtedly one of the league's most storied and successful franchises. However, at that time, the team was going through a lull and was searching for its next big star. With team owner Jerry Buss' blessings, general manager Jerry West honed in on the "Diesel."

"In Los Angeles, our owner, Jerry Buss, always wanted to acquire players that would give us an opportunity to play for championships. And when you've got a player of Shaquille's caliber — his ability to dominate games and be the most destructive force in basketball at that time was pretty unique. Those opportunities don't come along very often," West shared.

As the league's free agency period heated up, Shaq saw other players receive massive new contracts—Juwan Howard and Alonzo Mourning received $101 and $105 million, respectively. The Magic's number, though, was $80 million, which O'Neal balked at. According to Shaq, West saw his opportunity and immediately pounced.

"'Hey, right now we can give you 98, but we can probably get you some things on the side,'" Shaq recalled West telling him. "He called me later — about three in the morning — and said, 'We're going to get you 120.' I said, 'I'll meet you over there,'" Shaq detailed.

Never wanted to leave

On July 18, 1996, O'Neal surprised the basketball world by signing a seven-year deal worth $120 million with the Lakers. Contrary to what Orlando media reported, Shaq emphasized that he never wanted to leave Orlando. Unfortunately, the Magic's front office bungled the negotiations, and Shaq felt disrespected.

"They didn't match quick enough. Forget matching. You've got to make the offer at the beginning," he stressed. "Everyone knows I wanted to stay. My house is 80,000 freaking square feet. You think I wanted to just leave that thing? Eighty thousand. It ain't like I was planning to go."

"My uncle Jerome was with me. We had a conversation with Orlando. We were like, 'This is what we want.' They denied it. Then, we had a conversation with Mr. Jerry West. He accepted it. So I left that day. I wasn't messing around," O'Neal continued.

The mismanagement of Shaq's contract negotiations remains a blunder from which the Magic franchise has never fully recovered. O'Neal went on to win three NBA titles with the Lakers, while the Magic, once the most promising team of the 1990s, would not make it past the first round of the NBA Playoffs until 2008.