Jerry West choked out 325lbs Shaquille O’Neal after Lakers loss to Charles Barkley
Jerry West was furious with Shaquille O’Neal and his tantrums after a loss to the Rockets, leading him to grab him by the throat.
In his final years with the Orlando Magic, Shaquille O’Neal was swept by Hakeem Olajuwon’s Houston Rockets in the 1995 NBA Finals and then lost to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in 1996. Clearly, O’Neal wanted a change in scenery and looked west, finding a suitor in the Los Angeles Lakers.
The man who recruited him and was subsequently responsible for bringing him to Los Angeles was none other than former Lakers superstar Jerry West. West was the General Manager of the Purple and Gold at the time and was also the one who orchestrated the draft night trade that would send Vlade Divac to the Hornets for Kobe Bryant on the 13th.
the general selection in 1996.
During Shaq’s 8-year tenure with the Lakers, he became close with Jerry West. He even admitted that he never had a problem with authority figures throughout his career, including West. Shaquille O’Neal even revealed to him West’s pitch that his name would be in the rafters as Kareem if he “did it the right way.”
Also read: “Do you know how I won $900 million?”: Shaquille O’Neal reveals the secret of his fortune to two little ones
Shaquille O’Neal on how Jerry West handled him after the 1999 Playoffs.
The Los Angeles Lakers were beaten by Charles Barkley and the Houston Rockets in the 1999 playoffs, leading to Shaquille O’Neal fuming over yet another postseason disappointment. According to him, he trashed a bathroom, removing several urinals from the wall.
As Jerry West walked into the locker room to talk to his team, he heard the commotion coming right away.
While on Graham Bensinger’s show, Shaq revealed that West grabbed him by the throat and told him how he had lost in the NBA Finals 7 times before winning once (1972 Lakers).
Mind you, Shaq is nearly a foot taller than West and easily has over 100 pounds on him. this did not stop ‘The Logo’ from physically disciplining him.
Of course, it would all work out for Shaquille O’Neal, as the Lakers would go on to win a championship the following year.
And the year after that. And then the year after that.
Also read: $400 million Shaquille O’Neal turned Phil Jackson’s backyard into a trampoline show
