Without a $25 Tim Hortons Gift Card, Jerry West’s Lakers Couldn’t Have Afforded $121 Million Worth Shaquille O’Neal: “In Exchange for Two Diet Pepsis”

The Los Angeles Lakers signed Shaquille O’Neal as a free agent in 1996. The Orlando Magic were reasonably confident that O’Neal would give up his $115 million contract demand and sign with them. However, the Lakers, who were looking for a starting center, were not happy with their other options. According to Jeff Pearlman in the Three Ring Circus, general manager Jerry West was convinced that signing O’Neal was the “only way for the Lakers.”

West talked to Vancouver Grizzlies General Manager Stu Jackson and made him a unique offer. In exchange for two Diet Pepsis, a $25 Tim Hortons gift card, and two future second-round picks, the Lakers surrendered George Lynch and Anthony Peeler. This allowed the franchise to make some extra money in order to sign Shaquille O’Neal.

Jerry West negotiated a crazy deal to make the Shaquille O’Neal signing possible!

Jeff Pearlman wrote that the Lakers had Clippers’ Brian Willians (Bison Dele) and Pacers’ Dale Davis as their other options for a Center. However, O’Neal was obviously the better option. He would be a game-changer.

This led to West concluding that the Lakers needed to sign O’Neal in order to make the team title contenders. To do so, West talked to Stu Jackson and made him an offer he thought “could not be refused.”

Along with forward George Lynch and Anthony Peele, West offered two Diet Pepsis, a gift card, and 2 future picks. This allowed West to make around $36.3 million in extra cap space for the signing of Shaquille O’Neal. Shaq eventually signed a 7-year $121 million deal. Here’s an excerpt from the book,

“West reached out to Stu Jackson, general manager of Vancouver, to make an offer he believed could not be refused. In exchange for two Diet Pepsis, a $25 Tim Hortons gift card, and two future second-round draft picks, the Lakers would surrender forward George Lynch and shooting guard Anthony Peeler.”

Shaq left LA Lakers in 2004 under similar circumstances

There is little doubt that the Orlando Magic did not treat O’Neal right. The young superstar was on a scary career trajectory and would have been a massive presence for the Magic for years.

And despite finding greener pastures in Los Angeles, he was subjected to similar treatment. The Lakers meted out a similar offer once the 7-year contract ended. Speaking to Showtime Basketball in 2021, O’Neal revealed that the Lakers wanted him to accept less money than he thought he deserved.

Shaq claimed that it wasn’t his beef with Kobe Bryant that led to the move to the Miami Heat. Instead, the Lakers wanted him to accept a much lesser offer than the $150 million contract he thought deserved. What a pitiful end.