[WizardofOzParticipant]

Shaquille O’Neal obviously didn’t sign with the Celtics for the money. They’re paying him the veteran’s minimum of $1.4 million this year. But that doesn’t mean that he couldn’t have gotten more.

In a recent interview with The Times Picayune, O’Neal said that the Hawks and Pistons each made him much more lucrative offers.

“I could have gotten $8 million from Atlanta and Detroit, but it wasn’t about that,” O’Neal told the newspaper. “It was about being somewhere and being seen and winning.”

O’Neal, who turns 39 next March, proclaimed that money was the least of his concerns this offseason.

“A lot of people said I only got the league minimum salary, but that’s all right,” O’Neal said. “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.”

As for his future after Boston, Shaq said it’s unlikely he’ll be able to suit up after his two-year contract is finished.

“It’s going to be my last two years,” O’Neal said. “I look at a lot of retired players, and when they shut it down they want to come back. But I’ve been in it for 18 years now, and I’ve had a great, illustrious career.”
http://www.nesn.com/2010/09/shaquille-oneal-says-he-could-have-gotten-8-million-from-atlanta-and-detroit.html

[RUDEBOY_Participant]

LOL..Shaq is my favorite center of alltime..and i hate to think of him wearing that celtic green..just like it was sad watching Dominique play with the Celtics..

but i read Atlanta was only willing to offer him a deal for 5 million a year…

[RUDEBOY_Participant]

LOL..Shaq is my favorite center of alltime..and i hate to think of him wearing that celtic green..just like it was sad watching Dominique play with the Celtics..

but i read Atlanta was only willing to offer him a deal for 5 million a year…

[sacphil_08Participant]

4 max contracts… Wow

[sacphil_08Participant]

4 max contracts… Wow

[Mr.Knick 32Participant]

He picked Boston over those 2 teams because Boston is on TV more then Atlanta and Detroit.

[Mr.Knick 32Participant]

He picked Boston over those 2 teams because Boston is on TV more then Atlanta and Detroit.

[RUDEBOY_Participant]

Shaq should’ve retired

[RUDEBOY_Participant]

Shaq should’ve retired

[PHILA9Participant]

I wonder who Shaq is going to bash after the two year…

[PHILA9Participant]

I wonder who Shaq is going to bash after the two year…

[RUDEBOY_Participant]

i wonder will Big Baby lose weight now that Shaq is there to Gobble up everything at the team meals

[RUDEBOY_Participant]

i wonder will Big Baby lose weight now that Shaq is there to Gobble up everything at the team meals

[Zeke33Participant]

i hate idiots. i doubt shaq signed with boston cuz theyre on tv more. maybe cuz they know how to win?? hate shaq haterz

[ItsVictorOladipoParticipant]

i hate idiots. i doubt shaq signed with boston cuz theyre on tv more. maybe cuz they know how to win?? hate shaq haterz
—————————————————————————————————————————————-

Really you doubt what Shaq himself said?

“I could have gotten $8 million from Atlanta and Detroit, but it wasn’t about that,” O’Neal told the newspaper. “It was about being somewhere and BEING SEEN and winning.”

caps are my own in case you missed those words the first time around…

[ItsVictorOladipoParticipant]

i hate idiots. i doubt shaq signed with boston cuz theyre on tv more. maybe cuz they know how to win?? hate shaq haterz
—————————————————————————————————————————————-

Really you doubt what Shaq himself said?

“I could have gotten $8 million from Atlanta and Detroit, but it wasn’t about that,” O’Neal told the newspaper. “It was about being somewhere and BEING SEEN and winning.”

caps are my own in case you missed those words the first time around…

[Zeke33Participant]

i hate idiots. i doubt shaq signed with boston cuz theyre on tv more. maybe cuz they know how to win?? hate shaq haterz

[goneParticipant]

“It was about being somewhere and being seen and winning.”

Im a lil skeptical about that statement. It would be different if he just said winning but “seen”???? Things that make you go hmmmmmmmm…………..

[goneParticipant]

“It was about being somewhere and being seen and winning.”

Im a lil skeptical about that statement. It would be different if he just said winning but “seen”???? Things that make you go hmmmmmmmm…………..

[MelParticipant]

im confused. he signed his rookie deal (1) then in 1996 with LA for 7 yrs $120mil (2) then in 2005 $100mil 5yrs (3) — 4 max contracts ?

Can someone tell me what is he talking about?

[MelParticipant]

im confused. he signed his rookie deal (1) then in 1996 with LA for 7 yrs $120mil (2) then in 2005 $100mil 5yrs (3) — 4 max contracts ?

Can someone tell me what is he talking about?

[Counting StarsParticipant]

Shaq has said some pretty questionable things in his time. Add this to the list.

[Counting StarsParticipant]

Shaq has said some pretty questionable things in his time. Add this to the list.

[omphalosParticipant]

I think he could have done really well in Atlanta. Its a shame he didn’t end up there, he would have had a bigger role and benefited the team more than in Boston.

[omphalosParticipant]

I think he could have done really well in Atlanta. Its a shame he didn’t end up there, he would have had a bigger role and benefited the team more than in Boston.

[Zeke33Participant]

the teams that are seen are the teams that WIN. Winning is what he wants to do. Why blow up what he said? Name one guy in the NBA who doesnt wanna be seen. that doesnt mean hed rather be seen instead of winning..

[Zeke33Participant]

the teams that are seen are the teams that WIN. Winning is what he wants to do. Why blow up what he said? Name one guy in the NBA who doesnt wanna be seen. that doesnt mean hed rather be seen instead of winning..

[NYK2010Participant]

Shaquille O’Neal a giant of a man, he put a new slant on the celebrity status of living large, when as a 19-year-old draft pick in the National Basketball Association (NBA) he signed the largest rookie contract in the history of professional basketball. Yet without spending a dime of his NBA salary, he embarked on a luxurious lifestyle funded exclusively from endorsement contracts and personal ventures. O’Neal, who moonlights as a recording artist, movie star, and television director, is an Olympic gold medallist and on multiple occasions a most valuable player (MVP) honoree.

8 million he wishes, even Kahn wouldn’t give him that.
He still has something left but why did he get 2 years.

After his rookie contract he signed with Lakers after the 95-96 season for 7 years till 02-03.
After the 2000 season he signed an extension with the Lakers for the maximum term of three years and $88.5 million.
After the 2005 season he decided to opt out with 1 year left and signed a 5 year $100 million dollar extension with the Heat.

I heard crazy rumors that some team would give Shaq 2 years 20 million total but obviously he’s not worth half that even now.

[NYK2010Participant]

Shaquille O’Neal a giant of a man, he put a new slant on the celebrity status of living large, when as a 19-year-old draft pick in the National Basketball Association (NBA) he signed the largest rookie contract in the history of professional basketball. Yet without spending a dime of his NBA salary, he embarked on a luxurious lifestyle funded exclusively from endorsement contracts and personal ventures. O’Neal, who moonlights as a recording artist, movie star, and television director, is an Olympic gold medallist and on multiple occasions a most valuable player (MVP) honoree.

8 million he wishes, even Kahn wouldn’t give him that.
He still has something left but why did he get 2 years.

After his rookie contract he signed with Lakers after the 95-96 season for 7 years till 02-03.
After the 2000 season he signed an extension with the Lakers for the maximum term of three years and $88.5 million.
After the 2005 season he decided to opt out with 1 year left and signed a 5 year $100 million dollar extension with the Heat.

I heard crazy rumors that some team would give Shaq 2 years 20 million total but obviously he’s not worth half that even now.

[NYK2010Participant]

Shaquille O’Neal a giant of a man, he put a new slant on the celebrity status of living large, when as a 19-year-old draft pick in the National Basketball Association (NBA) he signed the largest rookie contract in the history of professional basketball. Yet without spending a dime of his NBA salary, he embarked on a luxurious lifestyle funded exclusively from endorsement contracts and personal ventures. O’Neal, who moonlights as a recording artist, movie star, and television director, is an Olympic gold medallist and on multiple occasions a most valuable player (MVP) honoree.

8 million he wishes, even Kahn wouldn’t give him that.
He still has something left but why did he get 2 years.

After his rookie contract he signed with Lakers after the 95-96 season for 7 years till 02-03.
After the 2000 season he signed an extension with the Lakers for the maximum term of three years and $88.5 million.
After the 2005 season he decided to opt out with 1 year left and signed a 5 year $100 million dollar extension with the Heat.

I heard crazy rumors that some team would give Shaq 2 years 20 million total but obviously he’s not worth half that even now.

[NYK2010Participant]

Shaquille O’Neal a giant of a man, he put a new slant on the celebrity status of living large, when as a 19-year-old draft pick in the National Basketball Association (NBA) he signed the largest rookie contract in the history of professional basketball. Yet without spending a dime of his NBA salary, he embarked on a luxurious lifestyle funded exclusively from endorsement contracts and personal ventures. O’Neal, who moonlights as a recording artist, movie star, and television director, is an Olympic gold medallist and on multiple occasions a most valuable player (MVP) honoree.

8 million he wishes, even Kahn wouldn’t give him that.
He still has something left but why did he get 2 years.

After his rookie contract he signed with Lakers after the 95-96 season for 7 years till 02-03.
After the 2000 season he signed an extension with the Lakers for the maximum term of three years and $88.5 million.
After the 2005 season he decided to opt out with 1 year left and signed a 5 year $100 million dollar extension with the Heat.

I heard crazy rumors that some team would give Shaq 2 years 20 million total but obviously he’s not worth half that even now.

[NYK2010Participant]

Shaquille O’Neal a giant of a man, he put a new slant on the celebrity status of living large, when as a 19-year-old draft pick in the National Basketball Association (NBA) he signed the largest rookie contract in the history of professional basketball. Yet without spending a dime of his NBA salary, he embarked on a luxurious lifestyle funded exclusively from endorsement contracts and personal ventures. O’Neal, who moonlights as a recording artist, movie star, and television director, is an Olympic gold medallist and on multiple occasions a most valuable player (MVP) honoree.

8 million he wishes, even Kahn wouldn’t give him that.
He still has something left but why did he get 2 years.

After his rookie contract he signed with Lakers after the 95-96 season for 7 years till 02-03.
After the 2000 season he signed an extension with the Lakers for the maximum term of three years and $88.5 million.
After the 2005 season he decided to opt out with 1 year left and signed a 5 year $100 million dollar extension with the Heat.

I heard crazy rumors that some team would give Shaq 2 years 20 million total but obviously he’s not worth half that even now.

[NYK2010Participant]

Shaquille O’Neal a giant of a man, he put a new slant on the celebrity status of living large, when as a 19-year-old draft pick in the National Basketball Association (NBA) he signed the largest rookie contract in the history of professional basketball. Yet without spending a dime of his NBA salary, he embarked on a luxurious lifestyle funded exclusively from endorsement contracts and personal ventures. O’Neal, who moonlights as a recording artist, movie star, and television director, is an Olympic gold medallist and on multiple occasions a most valuable player (MVP) honoree.

8 million he wishes, even Kahn wouldn’t give him that.
He still has something left but why did he get 2 years.

After his rookie contract he signed with Lakers after the 95-96 season for 7 years till 02-03.
After the 2000 season he signed an extension with the Lakers for the maximum term of three years and $88.5 million.
After the 2005 season he decided to opt out with 1 year left and signed a 5 year $100 million dollar extension with the Heat.

I heard crazy rumors that some team would give Shaq 2 years 20 million total but obviously he’s not worth half that even now.

[NYK2010Participant]

Shaquille O’Neal a giant of a man, he put a new slant on the celebrity status of living large, when as a 19-year-old draft pick in the National Basketball Association (NBA) he signed the largest rookie contract in the history of professional basketball. Yet without spending a dime of his NBA salary, he embarked on a luxurious lifestyle funded exclusively from endorsement contracts and personal ventures. O’Neal, who moonlights as a recording artist, movie star, and television director, is an Olympic gold medallist and on multiple occasions a most valuable player (MVP) honoree.

8 million he wishes, even Kahn wouldn’t give him that.
He still has something left but why did he get 2 years.

After his rookie contract he signed with Lakers after the 95-96 season for 7 years till 02-03.
After the 2000 season he signed an extension with the Lakers for the maximum term of three years and $88.5 million.
After the 2005 season he decided to opt out with 1 year left and signed a 5 year $100 million dollar extension with the Heat.

I heard crazy rumors that some team would give Shaq 2 years 20 million total but obviously he’s not worth half that even now.

[NYK2010Participant]

Shaquille O’Neal a giant of a man, he put a new slant on the celebrity status of living large, when as a 19-year-old draft pick in the National Basketball Association (NBA) he signed the largest rookie contract in the history of professional basketball. Yet without spending a dime of his NBA salary, he embarked on a luxurious lifestyle funded exclusively from endorsement contracts and personal ventures. O’Neal, who moonlights as a recording artist, movie star, and television director, is an Olympic gold medallist and on multiple occasions a most valuable player (MVP) honoree.

8 million he wishes, even Kahn wouldn’t give him that.
He still has something left but why did he get 2 years.

After his rookie contract he signed with Lakers after the 95-96 season for 7 years till 02-03.
After the 2000 season he signed an extension with the Lakers for the maximum term of three years and $88.5 million.
After the 2005 season he decided to opt out with 1 year left and signed a 5 year $100 million dollar extension with the Heat.

I heard crazy rumors that some team would give Shaq 2 years 20 million total but obviously he’s not worth half that even now.

[NYK2010Participant]

Shaquille O’Neal a giant of a man, he put a new slant on the celebrity status of living large, when as a 19-year-old draft pick in the National Basketball Association (NBA) he signed the largest rookie contract in the history of professional basketball. Yet without spending a dime of his NBA salary, he embarked on a luxurious lifestyle funded exclusively from endorsement contracts and personal ventures. O’Neal, who moonlights as a recording artist, movie star, and television director, is an Olympic gold medallist and on multiple occasions a most valuable player (MVP) honoree.

8 million he wishes, even Kahn wouldn’t give him that.
He still has something left but why did he get 2 years.

After his rookie contract he signed with Lakers after the 95-96 season for 7 years till 02-03.
After the 2000 season he signed an extension with the Lakers for the maximum term of three years and $88.5 million.
After the 2005 season he decided to opt out with 1 year left and signed a 5 year $100 million dollar extension with the Heat.

I heard crazy rumors that some team would give Shaq 2 years 20 million total but obviously he’s not worth half that even now.

[NYK2010Participant]

Shaquille O’Neal a giant of a man, he put a new slant on the celebrity status of living large, when as a 19-year-old draft pick in the National Basketball Association (NBA) he signed the largest rookie contract in the history of professional basketball. Yet without spending a dime of his NBA salary, he embarked on a luxurious lifestyle funded exclusively from endorsement contracts and personal ventures. O’Neal, who moonlights as a recording artist, movie star, and television director, is an Olympic gold medallist and on multiple occasions a most valuable player (MVP) honoree.

8 million he wishes, even Kahn wouldn’t give him that.
He still has something left but why did he get 2 years.

After his rookie contract he signed with Lakers after the 95-96 season for 7 years till 02-03.
After the 2000 season he signed an extension with the Lakers for the maximum term of three years and $88.5 million.
After the 2005 season he decided to opt out with 1 year left and signed a 5 year $100 million dollar extension with the Heat.

I heard crazy rumors that some team would give Shaq 2 years 20 million total but obviously he’s not worth half that even now.

[mikeyvthedonParticipant]

It re-upped his contract, basically he made enough money for like 4 max deals as he signed a majority of his deals before the NBA lockout in 1999. Basically, the man has made more NBA salary than anyone by far. Not even mentioning that for a big man, he did not do too badly in endorsements. I pretty much feel that these salary figures leave out other bonuses such as money received during the play-offs and such, so I would likely add a fat 5-10% on whatever figures Shaq has made with NBA salary. There has to be some bonus for winning a title and such, I do not think the Super Bowl is the only one that pays the winners/runners-up money. So, the guy has a lot of dough, so the four max contracts statement does not bother me greatly. But, as a huge Shaq fan, I sometimes wish he would know when enough is enough. I do not think either team was willing to offer him 8 for two years, much less per year. I think Shaq very much would like to win another ring and he went to the best opportunity to do so, but I highly doubt he would not have grabbed Atlanta’s deal had they offered, as he would be assured a much greater amount of PT. Detroit would be a shaky situation, but I could have seen him playing there as well, though I am guessing he knew there was little chance of them competing, he would not be the signing to turn them around (he and T-Mac are not that anymore). So, I think Shaq should stop talking and just play the game. Focus and stop name dropping Big Fella, I wish for your success, but I like everyone else am getting tired of this talk that you can not really back up anymore.

[mikeyvthedonParticipant]

It re-upped his contract, basically he made enough money for like 4 max deals as he signed a majority of his deals before the NBA lockout in 1999. Basically, the man has made more NBA salary than anyone by far. Not even mentioning that for a big man, he did not do too badly in endorsements. I pretty much feel that these salary figures leave out other bonuses such as money received during the play-offs and such, so I would likely add a fat 5-10% on whatever figures Shaq has made with NBA salary. There has to be some bonus for winning a title and such, I do not think the Super Bowl is the only one that pays the winners/runners-up money. So, the guy has a lot of dough, so the four max contracts statement does not bother me greatly. But, as a huge Shaq fan, I sometimes wish he would know when enough is enough. I do not think either team was willing to offer him 8 for two years, much less per year. I think Shaq very much would like to win another ring and he went to the best opportunity to do so, but I highly doubt he would not have grabbed Atlanta’s deal had they offered, as he would be assured a much greater amount of PT. Detroit would be a shaky situation, but I could have seen him playing there as well, though I am guessing he knew there was little chance of them competing, he would not be the signing to turn them around (he and T-Mac are not that anymore). So, I think Shaq should stop talking and just play the game. Focus and stop name dropping Big Fella, I wish for your success, but I like everyone else am getting tired of this talk that you can not really back up anymore.

[Author]

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