Toyota SportsCenter, El Segundo, California.
California in late September was still dry and humid, and the open-air parking lot outside the arena was scorching hot. The high-powered air conditioners in the training facility emitted a low, steady hum, and the smell of disinfectant filled the physical testing room.
Team doctor Gary Vitti stood in the center of the room, holding a metal writing board in his hand, his gaze fixed on the special heavy industrial weighbridge on the floor.
" Shaq, stand up, both feet flat on the ground." Vitti pressed the pen.
Shaquille O'Neal O'Neal, shirtless, took off his shoes and stepped barefoot onto the metal pedal.
The weighbridge base emitted a slight creaking sound, and the red numbers on the display screen flickered a few times before finally stopping.
368.5 pounds.
The testing room was quiet for a moment, with only the rustling sound of the assistant trainer recording data on paper.
Vitti looked up at O'Neal. Three and a half months ago, after Game 7 of the NBA Finals, O'Neal weighed 308 pounds. In the previous two seasons, Michael Jordan would monitor everyone's physique every morning in the training facility. If anyone ate an extra serving of fried food in their pre-game snack, Jordan would confront them directly in the locker room. During that period, O'Neal maintained a very good body fat percentage, which was the best period of his physical condition in recent years.
Now that Jordan is gone, he's gained back all sixty pounds in just one summer.
The waistband of O'Neal's training shorts was bulging slightly outwards from his stomach, revealing obvious fat deposits around his abdomen. Facing the numbers on the screen, he looked relaxed and casually grabbed a white towel from the chair next to him to wipe the sweat from his face.
" Gary, don't make such a fuss. The Orlando sun is great, and the Miami barbecue is delicious. I have a big frame, so gaining a few pounds in the summer is perfectly normal."
" Shaq, this isn't just a few pounds, it's a full sixty pounds."
Vitti switched the splint to his left hand, his tone calm but serious. "And what happened to your right foot? After the match in June, the medical team's plan was to have arthroscopic surgery in mid-June to remove the bone spurs and growths in your big toe joint. Now the entire joint is swollen and purple."
O'Neal walked over and sat down on the examination bed, the mattress sagged considerably. He glanced down at his swollen toes and waved his hand dismissively.
"I got injured while I was working, why would I have surgery during my offseason? My offseason is my private time, and I don't want to spend the summer lying in a hospital bed. There are 82 games in the regular season, and once the season starts next month, I'll run around with the team and naturally get back in shape."
You're thirty-one years old this year, not in your early twenties anymore.
Vitti bent down, put on disposable medical the Glove, and reached out to touch the edge of O'Neal's big toe joint.
"Ouch! Gary, be gentle!" O'Neal pulled his foot back and yelled, frowning.
"It's full of inflammatory fluid."
Vitti took off his the Glove and threw them in the trash. "When you were 308 pounds, your knees and plantar fascia could handle running back and forth across the court. Now you're jumping on a hardwood floor with nearly 370 pounds of weight, the pressure on your joints is completely different. And you know very well what's going on this season; no one on the court can share the defensive burden with you anymore."
Hearing Vitti's words, O'Neal wasn't angry; instead, he grinned.
He was certainly aware of the team's current situation.
After winning the championship, the Los Angeles Lakers ' roster was almost half empty. Michael Jordan announced his retirement, and later, due to the failure to deliver on a privately promised share of Jerry Buss assets, the two completely broke off relations. Starting point guard Jason Kidd became a free agent and accepted a contract with the San Antonio Spurs to team up with Tim Duncan. Head coach Phil Jackson also resigned after winning the championship and returned to his Montana farm.
The original championship-contending roster now only has O'Neal as its core player.
Kobe was traded to the Chicago Bulls three years ago. Looking at the Lakers ' roster for the new season, apart from Sean Marion who is of All-Star caliber, the main rotation players are Lamar Odom, Quentin Richardson, Derrick Fisher, and role players like Stanislav Medvedenko.
The entire team's reputation and Staples Center ticket sales depend on O'Neal alone.
This situation didn't make O'Neal feel any pressure; instead, it made him feel that he had complete control. In his view, with Jordan and Kidd gone, the Lakers were now his team all to himself.
Furthermore, when O'Neal entered the locker room this morning, he found an open copy of the Los Angeles Times on his locker.
The newspaper's sports section quoted Boston Celtics owner Lin Qi's exact words during an interview.
"Any general manager who claims they don't need Shaquille O'Neal O'Neal is lying to their fans. He's one of the rarest big men in modern basketball history, with unparalleled destructive power. If Boston has the salary cap space and signing opportunities, I'll offer him a max contract tomorrow. I don't think saying this is illegal recruitment, do I?"
O'Neal reached into his shorts pocket, pulled out a folded newspaper clipping, and unfurled it in front of Vitti.
"Look at this, Gary. Even Lin Qi from Boston publicly said Shaq is worth a max contract. The whole league knows who the real bargain is. Michael retired, Jason went to the Spurs, who can the Lakers rely on now besides me? Rely on Odom's low-post battles, or on Marion dominating the paint? If Jerry Buss wants to sell out tickets again next season, he'd better get his checkbook out."
O'Neal placed the clipping on his knee, took a breath, and spoke with a mix of smugness and a hint of resentment about old grievances.
"Sometimes I really think, if I had gone to Boston in the summer of 1996, I might be wearing five rings on my fingers now..."
Vitti glanced down at the clipping but didn't reply.
As the Lakers ' chief team doctor for many years, Vitti understands the management very well. When the team has a chance to contend for a championship, Jerry Buss is certainly willing to spend money, but when core players are getting older and their bodies are at risk of injury, he knows better than anyone how to cut his losses.
As for Lin Qi's praise in the newspaper, Vitti saw it more as an off-field provocation.
Boston has no chance of signing O'Neal. Lin Qi, across the Atlantic Ocean, was praising O'Neal to the skies in the media, clearly putting Jerry Buss in a difficult position and making O'Neal even more insistent on a max contract.
However, Vitti did not reveal this meaning to O'Neal.
The frosted glass door to the physical testing room was pushed open.
General Manager Mitch Kupchak walked in. He was wearing a dark gray suit, carrying a red briefcase, and looked somewhat serious.
Kupchak's gaze swept around the room, landing on the still-present "368.5" on the weighbridge screen. His lips twitched, he took a deep breath, and then looked at O'Neal sitting on the edge of the bed.
Kupchak said in a businesslike manner.
"Get dressed and come to my office. We need to talk about renewing your contract."