O'Neal filing a trade request was something the Lakers management had known all along.
Even if O'Neal had not submitted a trade request, Old Buss would never have renewed the contract of a player who pointed at him and shouted, "SHOW ME THE MONEY!" No matter how great that player was.
The Lakers never lacked superstars!
Was Old Buss the kind of man willing to put up with that?
At the same time, O'Neal called a whole host of Lakers teammates. He needed to prepare the foundation for his future dynasty!
The best way to join a new team was, of course, to bring along a group of old teammates and trusted enforcers. They could command respect, and the team would gel much faster.
"Manu! Let's build the next dynasty together!"
"Uh, Shaq, the signal is bad here. I'll call you when I get back to the United States."
"But you were clearly still in the United States yesterday!"
"Beep beep beep!!!"
Ginobili frantically imitated the sound of a dropped call, then hung up.
"Derek! I need your passing and defense!"
"What? Shaq, I just started dating Lanlan at Unicorn, and now you want me to leave Los Angeles?"
Little Fish looked disdainful. In Los Angeles, he was a man with more than a dozen VIP cards. Especially after five championships, the girls of Los Angeles were practically his for the picking!
Go somewhere new? Impossible!
"Robert! You're a free agent. Wherever I go, you go! We'll still be the strongest starting frontcourt duo in the league."
Thirty-two-year-old Robert Horry's contract with the Lakers expired this year, and he had already lost his starting spot. O'Neal believed he was the teammate most likely to follow him.
"Um, Shaq. I'm planning to find the team that pays the most and retire