As a kid in 1996 this was huge news.

Jerry West basically got Shaq to LA and KD to Golden State. What a closer.

Orlando hasn't recovered since.

Jerry West brought in Shaq, Kobe, and D. Fisher -- pretty fair offseason for a GM.

3 peat was worth 120 million

worth every single dollar

I was born and raised two hours from Orlando, Shaq was and still is my all-time favorite player. He left Orlando just before my 16th birthday and needless to say, I was heartbroken. But I loved him so much as a player that I remained a fan of his through his whole career. Looking back now 25 years later, 3 championships in LA, Penny Hardaway having injuries shortly after in Orlando, Shaq absolutely made the right choice. I still have my blue Orlando Shaq jersey in my attic, got older and fatter so it doesn’t fit, but I bought a blue Orlando Shaq jersey size 3x, 2 weeks ago. Wearing it with pride, bringing it full circle.

shaq made the right choice. Lakers forever!

Broke my heart. The '95 Magic were my boys.

oh man.. that ESPN 2 logo in the top corner.. nostalgia hits hard watching these old clips

Did Jerry West really compare signing Shaq to the birth of his children?? Damn they really wanted Shaq that's why Orlando lost him

Man I remember how exciting this day was for me as a Laker fan. Jerry West is the man

tickets went from $9.00 to 21.00 holy shit tickets were cheap back then

After watching the 30 for 30 magic moment, damn, felt bad for the magic kingdom.....

In 1996 Shaq wanted To Join the Lakers to Win a NBA Championship.

This was BIG back in 1996. I was turning 12 the following month but I remember this like it was yesterday.

being hooper in the 90's is such a blessing i'm glad i grew watching this guys played

This was July 1996 my birthday month. I turned 7 years old....man this is a piece of history now my age matches shaqs jersey in Orlando

I predict he will win probably 3 rings with lakers.

Shaq deserved every penny he was asking for

As huge as this was to bring in the "Big Unit", it wasn't until ZEN MASTER came to town that the Lakers took it to another level.

Time goes by fast. Seems like yesterday. Go LA!

LOL the dude asking the question said "why did you choose los angeles over the los angeles lakers?" twice

the tickets went from $9 to $21...... wow

Orlando Magic Management Were to Blame for Shaq Leaving

I still remember when this happened as a kid. The day I got my shaq lakers jersey, I was ecstatic!

Losing a 24 year old Shaq is criminal. Was so pumped as a 14 year old lakers fan in 1996. Classic. Behind Magic, Shaq is my favorite laker ever

Thank You for that one Orlando!! appreciate it!!

Shaq may have had an ego, but it for some reason it fit with his personality. He produced and he lived up to his name.

Love watching vintage news

It's been more than 15 years since I saw this clip, thanks for uploading.

on this day i went to my homeboy house and we was yelling hell yeah it was great to be a laker fan

20 dollars for a laker tickets wish it was that price now 😩

This just shows what a really nice guy Shaq was,he spoke so eloquently and he looked totally embarassed when Jerry West was heaping all those nice compliments on him.

orlando offered him the same deal, 7 years, 119 million. Shaq wanted to go the LA bc its LA. He had gotten to big for Orlando. "Big Fish in a little Pond" as he would say later

Dr.Buss & Jerry West best 1-2 punch ever! Lakers forever.

Hey Orlando he was WORTH THE MONEY!!!

The pieces of the Laker Dynasty of the 2000s started with the acquisition of Shaq, then traded for Kobe Bryant and drafting Derek Fisher on Draft Night '96, and eventually hiring Phil Jackson (Thanks Jerry Krause) in '99.

Shaquille O'neal has said recently he regrets leaving Orlando. His argument was a little guarded, he said he left to go to the Lakers because it was a business decision. Former Magic GM Pat Williams said they topped the Lakers offer at the 11th hour, but O'neal had already made his mind up to leave by then.

"i've been shooting free throws, look for a change on the line" LOL oh shaq most dominant center of my generation

That entire summer of free agency class: Shaq, M.J., Juwan Howard, Kenny Anderson, Alonzo Mourning, Allan Houston, Dikembe Mutombo, Chris Gatling, etc..., along with the 96 draft considered the best ever with Allen Iverson, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Ray Allen, Stephon Marbury, Antoine Walker, Kerry Kittles, Steve Nash, Peja Stojakovic, Jermaine O'Neal, Derek Fisher, Jerome Williams, undrafted Ben Wallace, and some kid named Kobe Bryant. 5 future NBA HOF's in that draft class (Iverson, Allen, Nash, Wallace, Bryant...and maybe as many as 7 with J. O'Neal and Marbury), that offseason was the craziest I could remember.

In the overall scheme of things, the extra money he got offered by LA was not a huge amount more than what Orlando could offer him, but LA is a big market franchise and LA has the resources to build around him. LA is considered one of the greatest franchises in basketball. At the time it was led by fantastic management with legends Jerry Buss and Jerry West. There are many things to factor in and I 100% agree that people are way too overly critical of Lebron's decision. Its called free agency.

it's different because this is actually a standard press conference that every major player has when they sign with a new team. lebron held a 1 hour tv special interview with a crowd of children, named "The Decision", and he didn't even say where he was going until like 55 minutes into the program.

You are right, he won three finals MVP's in a row! Most dominant man in the game for those years on end.

BIG SHAQ 34# LIKE WHAT!!! L.A. LAKERS 1996-2004!!!

My magic have been rebuilding ever since

Wow I was so young when this happened. Thanks @AmcNeill1992

Jerry West best talent judge a hair over Pop in San Antonio

In 2004 after they lost to Detroit, the Lakers were in Hawaii for a team camp playing against each other, Shaq had a good game, he was asking for new 💰 salary. But Jerry Bus didn't want to pay him, they took requires on him, they didn't want to bring him back. But that 120 million was worth it, even during the beef moments with Kobe.

"Look for a change on the ft line" 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔

One of the best decisions he ever made as it turned out and I say it with no disrespect to orlando.i said it because of what he ended up achieving with the lakers.

Man that first guy couldn't get that question right

I didn't know Shaq had the press conference in my hometown!! :)

2001 Lakers in my opinion were the greatest team in NBA history

Lmao 5:35 talking about ticket prices going up from $9 to $21 ohhh my goodness that's crackhead prices compared to today's shit...can't even get into college games with $21

Damn his voice was so different than.

"relocated" is the right word he went to like 5 different teams!

Great decision. Great GM.

Magically will appear with the lakers 😂

Damn this is classic

Other than Jordan nobody was bigger than SHAQ in the 90’s this was huge news at the moment me being a kid at the time!

Thanks I Remember That

If shaq would have stayed, the magic would have eventually given my beloved bulls problems and may just have beaten them in 98 and won the title! Especially that 98 season when Chicago showed some weakening! So I like to thank shaq for going west!

Wow 120 million I hope he lives up to it

you know it wierd not seeing shaq playing any more even though it has been 2 years

Shaq went to to the Lakers becouse he thought he could be a movie star. didnt really happen but he did win many titles!

That laker hat goes hard.

Best thing shaq did was leave reebok and start shaqs shoes..always been a money man

Let me rephrase that, I mean in the "Shaq and Phil Jackson era" of the Lakers, in the pre Phil Jackson era from 1997-99 he was clearly the taking the most shots on the team.

shaq is by far the most dominant center of my generation. his weight combined with his agility is unstoppable. his shooting is awful, but he evidently doesn't need it to beat the competition.

"why you chose LA over the LA lakers" the reporter repeated his incorrect question not once but twice

120 Million in the 90's ?? SHEESH 😳 on TOP of endorsements? Run me by bag

history will repeat itself with dwight.

Shaq started talking about not taking away from players game and mentioned Kobe.. Kobe haven’t even played a game in the nba yet everybody seen his potential.

2018 just watching Lebron joining Lakers

The day Shaq took his talents to Hollywood. The best free agent acquisition in NBA history! if the Heat win a few titles, LeBron James could surpass this, but right now, this is the best one because of the rings.

The first guy asking kept messing up.

BOSS!

"Been working on my free throws..." We know how that ended lol

the original lakers snapback #saucy

12:13 - "And Kobe Bryant"

Jerry West to Shaq: “I’ll see what I can do”. Shaq: “I like this guy”.

true i went last season to a game against the suns 90 bucks in the rafters the real fans cant afford to go to games consistently the real fans are outside at the espn zone or at home true hardcore laker fans we bleed purple and gold!

digging the hoop earing shaq

1996 - $9 for the cheap seats to $21 at the forum?

Back then when everyone in this video were young and beginning their careers.

20 dollars for a ticket. i wishhhhh lol

TRUE G

Excuse me but how is this different then Lebron? He went on live tv and said he's not playing for Orlando anymore. Then he says its not for the money when it clearly is. Orlando had a better team than La at the time so how was it not about money? Lebron took less money and even donated money. Why do ppl look for reasons to hate Lebron?

funny thing is ecery time he left a better team the team he went to drafted a future hall of famer in kobe and d wade that very first year he changed teams, he is pretty lucky

this looks like a press conference

obviously he paid a state tax. but youre crazy if you dont think jerry west gave him a bonus. especially with the ticket prices being raised.

More money than Alonzo Mourning and Juan Howard is a wild sentence in 2022. Also, I can’t even imagine how much a legacy player like Shaq would go for in todays NBA market.

I wish he would have finished his career in Orlando.

We then took Dwight from them. Didn't work out the first time but Dwight will get a ring now. Lakers 2020!

Damn, am I the only one who see’s a chucky Bron when shaq is answering questions?

Jerry West won 1 ring as a Lakers player and he is also responsible for the 80’s and 2000’s Lakers titles. 10 titles.

I was working at a drive in movie theater, stealing money from the register. On my break I went to listen to the radio and heard this news.

I second that opinion.

i understand ur point but the guy u just mentioned made that comment cause he was replying to someone that said that kobe wouldn't have 5 rings without shaq so i understand all the points but u may not see something like most others,although the lakers were horrible this season they were never healthy enough for enough games to gain some chemistry together thus making it almost impossible to win when kobe is the only person to play every game this season and i think that is a big reason for this