Shaquille O’Neal had enforced himself as a destructive titan in Orlando. The seven-footer was laying bodies out every game, at times shattering rims with his thunderous dunks. The explosive center was leading his and Orlando’s championship aspirations. Yet, the franchise refused to give him a max contract. The Lakers would eventually swoop in to take advantage of the dry contract talks. That move brought out the true Shaquille O’Neal experience. Four titles, an MVP, and a legacy immortalized with a statue outside the Crypto.com arena.

The mastermind operating the strings was Leonard Armato, a trailblazer in the world of sports agents. It was his first transaction, representing Shaq. The tandem went on to build an illustrious brand spearheaded by Shaq’s numerous accolades on and off the court. However, what about their relationship now? Out of curiosity, EssentiallySports’ approached the man himself who revealed the drastic fluctuation in his bond with the Big Diesel when speaking to our NBA correspondent Vishal Kolar.

Vishal: “Could you remember a similar situation where you had a great association with an athlete or you were working on a big deal and it kind of either fell throughout of conflict or something, you know, unexpected on your end?”

Armato: “I can’t remember a situation you know specifically, but it happens all the time, and it’s just one of those things where you just have to, you know, pick up the pieces and go on. But a lot of times in the world of sport, you know there’s conflict that gets resolved. All of a sudden you never know if the two people are you know, super friendly again. I mean, look even between Shaquille and I. I mean, he fired me at one point and then we’re great buddies and partners on you know. It’s just the way it happens”. 

Armato and Shaq shared a close bond when the electric sports lawyer represented him. However, all relations come with their own set of challenges. In 2001, Armato and Shaq parted ways. Even though some say it was called an ‘amicable’ separation, the reports told an entirely different tale. According to the Sports Business Journal, the Big Aristotle was pushed to the edge because of Armato’s dedication to his other domains, and not Shaq.

Shaq fired Armato after 10 years of them being a team. Sports agencies, globally, began pondering ways to secure a contract with Shaq. The Big Diesel, though, wanted his affairs to stay close to his family. He began his own personal management company to look after his finances. His uncle Mike Parris was tasked with handling his business dealings. What’s surprising after all of this is that Shaq also hired a member from Armato’s agency.

They might have gone their ways and found success, but Shaq never misses a chance to praise his former agent. He acknowledged they made history when they parted. Later on, he boasted about Armato’s lessons on several occasions. At the end of the day, they do remain ‘buddies’ who share a decade of raging success.

Leonard Armato’s success with Shaquille O’Neal

Armato was always a man with a golden touch. His resume included the biggest of athletes even before Shaq. Notably, he even managed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar during his stint with the Lakers. The super sports agent gained a reputation for being an incredible brand builder. His negotiation skills and instincts sat perfectly with what it took to grow a brand.

However, it wasn’t until he met Shaq that they changed the world of athlete management. He laid the groundwork for ‘Shaq’ to become a global brand. He landed deals with Reebok, had Shaq in movies, and even encouraged him to continue music. This was after his first move, as Shaq’s representative was securing a seven-year $120 million contract with the historic Los Angeles Lakers.

This was all from this segment of our conversation with the revered Leonard Armato. For more, watch the entire video above and be on the lookout for further stories revolving around the interview.