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Shaquille O'Neal played 19 seasons in the NBA and won four championships before hanging up his jersey in 2011. He led the LA Lakers to a three-peat (1999-00 to 2001-02) and won his last title playing for the Miami Heat alongside Dwyane Wade.
The former LSU superstar was the Orlando Magic’s No. 1 pick in the 1992 NBA Draft. He led the Magic to a 41-41 record in his first year with the team after Orlando’s dismal 21-61 campaign the season before.
Shaquille O'Neal made it to the All-Star team in his first season, following in Michael Jordan’s footsteps who accomplished the feat in 1985. Shaq handily won the Rookie of the Year award over another rival, Alonzo Mourning.
In just his third season with the Magic, O’Neal led the team to the 1995 NBA Finals but was swept by the Houston Rockets. Shaq spent the series learning from the great Hakeem Olajuwon.
O’Neal left Florida in the summer of 1996 for Hollywood. He spent the most successful part of his career playing for the LA Lakers. Shaq spent eight seasons in Los Angeles, going to the NBA Finals four times and winning the title via a three-peat.
Shaquille O'Neal could have won more if he had been willing to take a pay cut to give the Lakers a better supporting cast.
The LA Lakers traded Shaquille O'Neal to the Miami Heat in 2004
The LA Lakers were just coming off an embarrassing loss to the Detroit Pistons in the 2004 NBA Finals. While many thought that it was his issues with Kobe Bryant that led the Lakers to trade him, that was not the reason.
Shaquille O'Neal wanted $150 million for his contract extension. The LA Lakers refused to oblige him as they couldn’t build a championship-contending team if he was earning that much. LA was also looking at the future of the younger Kobe Bryant, who would carry the franchise when Shaq advances in age.
O’Neal admitted years later into his retirement that he could have approached the contract extension differently. He added that he and Bryant could have won at least seven championships as the NBA’s most fearsome duo.
The Lakers sent Shaquille O'Neal to the Miami Heat for Caron Butler, Brian Grant, Lamar Odom, a 2006 first-round pick and a 2007 second-round pick.
Shaq added more success to his resume while in South Florida, playing for Pat Riley and the Miami Heat. Together with then-rising star Dwyane Wade, they made the Heat instant title contenders.
O’Neal made it to the All-Star team in three full seasons with the Miami Heat and won the 2006 NBA championship. The Hall of Fame center’s stint in Miami didn’t last long. Friction with Riley and the desire to chase another championship forced the Heat to trade him in February 2007 to the Phoenix Suns.
The Miami Heat traded Shaquille O'Neal to the Phoenix Suns
Injuries caused the Miami Heat to struggle during the 2007-08 season. They finished that campaign with a 15-67 record. The Heat traded Shaquille O'Neal to the Phoenix Suns when they held a 9-37 win-loss slate, the worst mark in the NBA.
From the worst team in the league, O’Neal was dealt to the Suns, who had the best record in the Western Conference. Phoenix acquired him by trading Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks to the Miami Heat.
Shaquille O'Neal joined a team that had Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire and Grant Hill.
The Suns’ biggest reason for acquiring O’Neal was to stop Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs. Phoenix lost to San Antonio in the semifinals of the 2007 playoffs. With O’Neal on the roster, the Spurs nearly swept the Suns in 2008.
In 2009, Shaquille O'Neal’s last year with the Suns, he made it back to the All-Star team and was co-MVP with Kobe Bryant. Phoenix, however, didn’t even make the playoffs.
The Phoenix Suns traded Shaquille O'Neal to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2009
Following a hugely disappointing 2008-09 campaign, the Phoenix Suns wanted to lower their payroll and informed O’Neal that he could be traded. On June 25, 2009, Shaq was moved to Cleveland for Sasha Pavlovic, Ben Wallace, $500,000 and a 2010 second-round pick.
LeBron James led the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Eastern Conference finals but lost 4-2 to Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic. Bringing in the original “Superman” could put them over the top against Shaq’s former team.
The Cavaliers, however, were ambushed by the aging but still competitive Boston Celtics in the second round of the 2010 playoffs.
“King James” and the most dominant player of all time couldn’t bring Cleveland its first franchise championship. James, though, would deliver on that promise in 2016 by beating the 73-9 Golden State Warriors.
Shaquille O'Neal signed with the Boston Celtics for the veteran’s minimum after his one-year deal with the Cavs. He retired after the 2010-11 season ended. In 2016, Shaq was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Guess the Lakers players!
