Shaq Turned His Back On $8 Million From Atlanta And Detroit
Shaquille O'Neal (photo. Chenoa Maxwell)
If you haven’t read John Reid’s excellent Q&A with Shaquille O’Neal from this Sunday’s Times Picayune, you should do so now. In addition to saying that the next two seasons with the Celtics will be his last two years in the NBA, and that his real goal is to pass Wilt Chamberlain on the all-time scoring list, Shaq talked about all the factors he considered before signing with the Celtics – something that caused him to leave $5 million on the table.
Atlanta was cool, but they don’t have a lot of national television games. But Boston, with Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, I said we can do it. A lot of people said I only got the league minimum salary, but that’s all right. I’m the luckiest guy in the world. I’ve had four max contracts in one lifetime, I don’t care about that little million. Did I want $10 million? I’m always going to put the number high. I could have gotten $8 million from Atlanta and Detroit, but it wasn’t about that. It was about being somewhere and being seen and winning.
Understandably, at this point in his career, Shaq chose to pursue another ring over the money. But for a guy who has four max contracts under his belt and says “I don’t care about that little million,” what would you expect?
What do you think? If you were Shaq, would you have taken the money in Atlanta or Detroit or the chance to win?
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September 8th, 2010 at 11:32 am
bobby stew says:
Shaq can get a million by just doing a food commercial
September 8th, 2010 at 11:34 am
Geoff says:
He has had a great career. He may be should have had 5 or 6 rings by now. Had he have got to even 60% FT he would have passed Wilt by now. As great as he has been, I feel like didn’t work as hard as he could have earlier in his career. Definitely an all-time top-5 center
September 8th, 2010 at 11:38 am
Joe says:
Geoff, he’s never worked hard. He just depended on his fat azz to push ppl around.
September 8th, 2010 at 11:44 am
dagwaller says:
I’m at work, can’t do this kind of research – how far away from Wilt is he on the all-time scoring list? And why doesn’t he want to catch Kareem? Is he too far off to realistically make it?
September 8th, 2010 at 11:56 am
HWM3 says:
I think he needs to average 20 points per game based on playing 80 games a year. It isn’t going to happen.
September 8th, 2010 at 12:01 pm
@ says:
@ dagwaller
According to nba.com, Shaq is #5 on the list with 28,255. He is still more than 3000 points behind Wilt… so I don’t think he will even reach that. He’d have to average close to 17 points a game over two seasons, and THAT’s assuming he plays all 82 games plus some playoff games. Not gonna happen as the 3rd, 4th, or 5th scoring option.
He is more then 10,000 points behind Kareem, so that is completely impossible.
September 8th, 2010 at 12:17 pm
Heckler says:
Shaq should have taken the money and gone to Atlanta.
Atlanta was paying more money and a longer term contract.
he would have started in Atlanta. he’s gonna be on the bench and miserable in beantown if he dont get minutes.
Boston is aging quickly. they got older this offseason. In Atlanta, outside of Bibby, most of the core key members are in their primes.
Once you get to the playoffs, ALL the games are nationally televised — and since when does Shaq care about the regular season?
he can sell more tickets and get more ‘off the court opportunities’ in Atlanta than he can get in Boston.
September 8th, 2010 at 12:36 pm
HWM3 says:
Kobe can pass Shaq by the end of his two year deal.
September 8th, 2010 at 12:44 pm
SparkyJ23 says:
But he wished he’d made some of the 5,000 odd free throws he’s missed in his career
September 8th, 2010 at 12:54 pm
LakeShow84 says:
So he just ADMITTED hes a fame whore..
Thats coo lol
ok ok jk but i still dont like the FUCKER but i appreciate the gold he brought us earlier in the decade.. He’ll never catch Wilt tho..
And retiring a Celtic?? What better proof that he was never a REAL Laker..
@ Heckler
I wouldnt say that got older besides the core player agin another year.. Rondo, Perkins, Davis, West, Daniels, Robinson are all fairly young.. They young at the 1&5 spots with good backups for those spots and YOUNG backups at the 2,3,4 spots.. and dont sleep on KG having a full summer of rest.. hes a choker but he should be 100% for the first time in 2 years..
Only player i would say who shows his age is Allen and to a lesser extent Paul Pierce but those 2 so perimeter oriented they hurt more on the defensive end.. and when you got KG back there your help D is already on par..
Im just sayin..
Last time people called them old they cruised into the Finals..
September 8th, 2010 at 1:00 pm
Michorizo says:
The more money he makes the more money his baby momma(s) get…
September 8th, 2010 at 1:05 pm
karizmatic says:
I think Shaq could have had a decent chance at winning had he signed with Atlanta. But I look at it another way, since his workload in Boston won’t be as much as it would have beem in Atlanta, I could look at it as an admission by Shaq that he’s just not up to the challenge of being depended on nightly to produce.
September 8th, 2010 at 1:09 pm
the truth says:
shaq’s the best big man of all time, he would dominate any other big man in his prime. too big too athletic too skilled
September 8th, 2010 at 1:29 pm
JAY says:
@the truth:” shaq’s the best big man of all time, he would dominate any other big man in his prime. too big too athletic too skilled”
Sorry bud… Hakeem comfortably wears that crown. I’d love to argue if you have the time.
September 8th, 2010 at 1:49 pm
Wil says:
I agree w/ JAY.
@the truth: hakeem pwned shaq in the 95 finals. Not only did the rockets sweep 4-0, hakeem outscored shaq pretty good.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1995_NBA_Finals
Don’t get me wrong. Shaq was a beast, but there were some pretty good players before him too.
September 8th, 2010 at 1:53 pm
karizmatic says:
Hakeem has always been my favorite big man. I think in order to have a conversation about the best big man you have to start looking at not only him, but Wilt, Bill Russell, and Kareem along with Shaq.
September 8th, 2010 at 2:21 pm
Ekstor says:
I didn’t see Wilt, Russell, and Kareem in their primes… so that said, Hakeem is the best I’ve ever seen, and it’s not really that close.
September 8th, 2010 at 2:41 pm
el mar says:
shaq is a great great addition for that kind of money I’m happy hes there he’ll give them that low post scoring they desperately needed against lakes during some 15-20mins easily
and if sheed is comin back before deadline baby gets traded for a quality defensive 3point shooting wing and then I say there is no way they don’t come out the east
September 8th, 2010 at 2:58 pm
rban says:
well the Pistons didnt even have that kind of money to offer, so thats atleast BS
September 8th, 2010 at 3:03 pm
BRUCE says:
He just wants to have more rings than Kobe! At this point in his career and earnings, nothing is more valuable than either matching or overtaking Kobe in the championship department!
September 8th, 2010 at 3:07 pm
K Dizzle says:
After reading posting 13,
I’d like to throw out the name Lew Alcindor/ Kareem Abdul Jabbar as the most disrespected and underrated center of all time.
6× NBA Champion (1971, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988)
6× NBA MVP (1971-1972, 1974, 1976-1977, 1980)
19× NBA All-Star (1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989)
2× NBA Finals MVP (1971, 1985)
10× All-NBA First Team Selection (1971-1973, 1974, 1976-1977, 1980-1981, 1984, 1986)
5× All-NBA Second Team Selection (1970, 1978-1979, 1983, 1985)
5× NBA All-Defensive First Team Selection (1974-1975, 1979-1981)
6× NBA All-Defensive Second Team Selection (1970-1971, 1976-1978, 1984)
1970 NBA Rookie of the Year
1970 NBA All-Rookie Team
NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team
3× NCAA Men’s Basketball Champion (1967), (1968), (1969)
3× NCAA Basketball Tournament MOP (1967), (1968), (1969)
1× Naismith College Player of the Year (1969)
2× USBWA College Player of the Year (1967-1968)
Please take your time and really digest these numbers then bring up whoever else…
September 8th, 2010 at 3:10 pm
WinDelRoj says:
@21
Yeah man I didnt witness the man in his prime, but looking at those numbers makes other bigs look small.
September 8th, 2010 at 3:14 pm
JAY says:
@Wil: “hakeem pwned shaq in the 95 finals. Not only did the rockets sweep 4-0, hakeem outscored shaq pretty good.”
Just to add to what you said…
Go down the list of things you want in a center, how many of them can you say Shaq is better??
Footwork – Dream
Size – Shaq
Post moves – Dream
Blocks – Dream
Soft Hands – Tie
Defensive Awareness – Dream
Passing out of double team – tie
In addition to the above, you can also throw in…
Jump Shot – Dream
Free Throws – Dream
Steals – Dream
…and the simple fact that you can go to him in the clutch because he could win the game in different ways. Coaches have taken Shaq out of games in crunch time because the odds are strong that he’ll blow 1 of 2 free throws. There’s no such thing as the “Hack Hakeem” rule.
I love Shaq, don’t get me wrong. He’s my favorite center, even ahead of Hakeem… but “favorite” doesn’t mean “best”.
September 8th, 2010 at 3:33 pm
JAY says:
@K Dizzle: Hakeem vs Kareem in their prime would have been a crazy thing to watch.
I wouldn’t say Kareem is underrated, just forgotten. Russell has the most rings, Hakeem was the prettiest, Shaq and Wilt the most dominant, and Kareem is the most productive, has the longest career and the most acclaim. That sky hook is by far the most difficult shot to master that NOBODY else has added it to their game.
September 8th, 2010 at 3:48 pm
stickslm says:
He is beyond an average person when it comes to money.
How nice it is to walk away from millions to do something you really want to do for much less.
Lucky man.
September 8th, 2010 at 3:59 pm
godsend says:
Face it!! Shak putting on a Celtics uniform will pay more than his salery at the box office. Shak doesn’t have to score Boston has players for that. But all players will think twice after they drive the lane with Shak on the floor. He’s worth the cost and is a positive for Boston. AS for the free throws, that’s a coaching choice. No good coach would let Shak play in that situation. Wake up!!
September 8th, 2010 at 4:03 pm
Joe's Momma says:
Shaq is saying he could have gotten 8 mil from Detriot or ATL? That is hard to believe. Someone gotta confirm this before I believe it. Shaq has been known to embellish a little.
September 8th, 2010 at 4:27 pm
JFD_rocks says:
This is an easy one… Atlanta and Detroit are not in the same class as Boston… Boston is a nicer city, the team is better and it is more of a celebrity city than Atlanta.
September 8th, 2010 at 9:36 pm
JAX says:
Once again, Shaq has proved what the NBA has become since MJ suited up. IMAGINE if he would have stayed with the Lakers his entire career. He would have made more money than some NBA teams; he could have surpassed Magic, Wilt and the Logo; Jerry Buss would have moved heaven and earth to get LeBron AND, with Shaq, would have pulled it off; South Beach is a cool place to party but IT AIN’T LOS ANGELES!!!! So what should we consider him now? A sideshow.
September 8th, 2010 at 10:49 pm
martin says:
if all the Celtics were as unselfish as Shaq–they would be able to get CARMELO ANTHONY!!!!
September 9th, 2010 at 5:16 pm
smoove chips says:
finally a statement from shaq that has a hint of maturity.
been waiting on that for a while. As for passing wilt…dream on.
and speaking of dream… Much respect. Mafucka was NICE !
September 9th, 2010 at 5:21 pm
NYC says:
Love Shaq. Don’t think he’ll get to 31000 points on this Celtic team. But hey; maybe he’ll have a revival of sorts with Perkins hurt. Who knows. Lol.
To the Poster that called Shaq the most Athletic and talented center of all time I have to disagree.
I feel Hakeem was definitely the most athletic Center of all time. But I can see why you say Shaq though. Shaq had gifts! But Shaq certainly wasn’t the most talented center of all time, considering Wilt, Hakeem and Kareem came before him.
Hakeem’s offensive and defensive skills, plus foot work (for example) were much better than Shaq’s ever was or could be!
Let’s not forget that.
September 9th, 2010 at 5:27 pm
NYC says:
To continue from above:
Hakeem (Like Jordan), was the best combination of athleticism and basketball skills I’ve ever seen on a basketball court/player.
Those two were at the highest levels in both categories (skills & athleticism) in one person!!!
Think about that guys before you disagree or offer someone else? It’s true!
September 10th, 2010 at 11:45 am
Bigshotbob says:
You guys talking about young Orlando shaq…the Lakers shaq in his prime would destroy anybody in his path!
September 10th, 2010 at 2:41 pm
Diego says:
Agree with post 27; no way Atlanta was offering up $8 million–unless it was for a 4-year nonguaranteed contract.
And @ post 28: Boston is more a celebrity city than Atlanta? Huh? You must be kidding. (Hell, a pretty sizeable chunk of NBA players–including Shaq (unless he has sold it in recent years)–have offseason pads in Atlanta anyway.) The metro area is chock full of top tier African-American celebrities, athletes and musical artists.
And Boston is not exactly chocolate city.
September 10th, 2010 at 4:02 pm
rban says:
Ben Wallace would have ate Shaq up in practice had he joined Detroit