In 1995, Shaquille O’Neal had already shown signs that he was destined for greatness, leading the Orlando Magic to the NBA Finals. The future looked bright for the 7-foot-1 big man, even though that year he did not earn a ring. And four years later, O’Neal was in the middle of a new chapter with the Los Angeles Lakers.
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Despite having better talent around him, Shaq couldn’t return to the stage he once tasted. He was naturally enraged, but Jerry West prevented the eventual Hall of Famer from succumbing to emotions and impatience.
Following the NBA lockout ahead of the 1998-99 season, the Lakers put together a solid year as a team. Behind the star power of Kobe Bryant and O’Neal, they finished as the fourth seed in the West. Once the postseason came around, fate led them to a duel against the San Antonio Spurs.
A battle between two dominant big men in Tim Duncan and O’Neal, was a box office draw. Fans quickly realized the two teams were not equals. The Spurs handled business swiftly, ending the second-round series in a sweep.
In the decisive Game 4, O’Neal recorded 36 points and 14 rebounds. Despite carrying the load for the team, it wasn’t enough. As a result, the big man stormed to the locker room and wreaked havoc on anything he could find. Every person in O’Neal’s vicinity was scared to get close to him. Everyone except the late, great Jerry West.
“I’m in the Laker locker room. There’s p*** and s*** everywhere. I’m ripping off urinals, ripping off doors,” O’Neal revealed on the Armchair Expert. “Somebody grabs me, and he’s pretty strong. I’m like, ‘Get the f*** off of me!’ I turn around and it’s Mr. West.”
Once O’Neal realized it was West who came to calm him down, he immediately began to dial his emotions down. But West didn’t hesitate to keep it real with O’Neal.
“He pushes me and I f****** go back. ‘Calm the f*** down! You’re going to get it done,'” O’Neal said. “He tells me that he went to the Finals seven, eight, or nine times and lost.
Once West put into perspective the amount of agony he experienced as a player, O’Neal’s anger didn’t feel justified. West didn’t just lose in multiple NBA Finals; he never won an NBA championship in nine appearances. Shaq didn’t even reach the Finals; his anger stemmed from a second-round loss.
O’Neal quickly began to settle his emotions down, and West ensured that the team kept getting better. The following offseason, the Lakers looked to find a replacement for their head coach. Coincidentally, Phil Jackson’s tenure with the Chicago Bulls seemed to run its course.
“I’m trying to help him out. I saw Phil was having problems in Chicago. I was like, ‘You need to call Phil,'” O’Neal said.
West was able to land Jackson, and the rest is history. The Lakers won three consecutive championships in Jackson’s first three seasons as head coach. It may seem like a minor moment in O’Neal’s Lakers career, but West’s actions left a lasting imprint on Shaq’s life in general.
