?I Wouldn?t Give This Guy $120 Million?: Shaquille O?Neal Got Destroyed by Bulls Legend Dennis Rodman Over Lakers Signing

Chicago Bulls legend Dennis Rodman had a little something to say after Shaquille O’Neal signed a whopping $120 million 7-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1996. The kind of money O’Neal was offered by the Lakers was unprecedented in the NBA back then. Therefore, the deal turned a lot of heads.

Rodman has always been outspoken about his views about anything. He has always expressed himself in the way that he deemed right. As a result, he has faced his share of backlash and controversies.

But that hasn’t stopped him from speaking his mind. So after the Lakers’ legend, Jerry West, offered Shaquille O’Neal his $120 million contract, Rodman didn’t hesitate to publish his opinion. “If I were an NBA owner, I wouldn’t give this guy $120 million“, Rodman had said about Shaq’s contract.

Shaquille O’Neal responds to Rodman’s comments

The Big Diesel addressed the Bulls forward’s comments in a televised interview. “Obviously, those guys are jealous. Because they can’t do the things I can do“, said O’Neal.

The Big Man’s response included Suns star Charles Barkley, who criticized Shaq’s poor showing in clutch moments due to his deficiency in free throw shooting. Meanwhile, Shaq also pointed out that Rodman didn’t say the things he says now when he played for lesser teams. In other words, Shaq implied that Rodman is a beneficiary of Jordan and Pippen’s hard work.

However, Shaq did prove to be worthy of his exorbitant contract. Even though he struggled in his first few years in the organization, he won three consecutive championships with the Lakers from 2000 to 2002.

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Moreover, he bagged three Finals MVPs and a league MVP during his tenure in LA. He pretty much returned every penny the Lakers invested in him with interest. And the Lakers honored him with a statue of his own.

Shaq on Rudy Gobert’s contract

In 2020, Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert signed a massive $205 million contract extension with the Jazz. And quite ironically, Shaq expressed his doubts about the huge sum of money received by the 3-time Defensive Player of the Year.

He joked that the contract should really inspire up-and-coming players because the NBA just showed that it rewarded mediocrity. “If you average 11 points a game, you can get $200 million“, said the Lakers legend.

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What do you think of Shaq’s take on Rudy Gobert’s contract? Comment below.