“I was robbing people”: Banking $41,000,000 over 730 Days, Shaquille O’Neal Felt His Skin Crawl During the Swansong of His Storied Career

NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal had a successful career winning four NBA titles with two different teams. His dominance and success on the hardwood made him one of the wealthiest former athletes. Shaq currently has an estimated net worth of $400 million from his NBA earnings, endorsements, and entrepreneurship. During his four-year stint with the Orlando Magic, Shaq led the team to the NBA Finals. But the Magic were swept by the Houston Rockets. Then Shaq was not happy with the extension offered by the Magic.

The Los Angeles Lakers swiftly signed the 1993 Rookie of the Year to a massive seven-year $120 million contract. It was one of the most significant NBA contracts at the time. Even when he was not in his prime, he had signed a huge contract. However, he was not always happy about it.

Shaquille O’Neal on his time with the Phoenix Suns

Shaquille O’Neal proved his worth for the Los Angeles Lakers, leading them to a three-peat. He was in his prime and also won the 2000 NBA Award and three straight Finals MVP awards. Only Michael Jordan and Shaq have won three consecutive Final MVP awards in the league’s history. However, his time with the Lakers ended after a beef with Kobe Bryant and contract issues with the management. He then joined the Miami Heat and brought instant success, winning the NBA title in 2006. However, his numbers were deteriorating. After four years with the Heat, Shaq joined the Phoenix Suns with superstars Steve Nash and Amar’e Stoudemire.

During his two years with the Suns, O’Neal earned an estimated $41 million despite not being at his best. He was not happy with his performances either. In his documentary Shaq, he talked about it. O’Neal said, “But I wasn’t Shaq. The knees and the hips. I didn’t even have the adrenaline to play.” He added, “But when I’d look at the stat sheet and see 9 and 10 points, I felt like I was robbing people.”

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The Big Diesel himself is arguably his biggest critique, and it was evident once again. Even though he was not putting up MVP numbers, he still performed at a decent level. Furthermore, the Suns did not acquire the 15-time All-Star to rack up the numbers. They knew what they were getting.

The end of O’Neal’s NBA career

In his first season with the Phoenix Suns, Shaquille O’Neal struggled and averaged 12.9 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. He returned strong in the second season and averaged 17.8 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. He also made the All-NBA Third Team for his displays. Furthermore, he made the All-Star team that year.

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The four-time NBA champion was then traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. After one season with the Cavs and another with the Boston Celtics, Shaq called it quits after his Achilles injury.

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