Shaquille O’Neal, the once charismatic superstar for Los Angeles was known for his love for the big screen. From growing up seeing movies to acting in them, O’Neal was destined for the silver screen. But he also loved to indulge in watching movies. So much so that in his early years in LA, he would routinely rent out entire movie theatres!
Yes, for a matinee movie or, heck, for any time that he desired to watch a movie, Shaquille O’Neal would often go out and rent an entire movie theatre. Now after you sign a $120 million deal in the 1990s, money shouldn’t be an object for you.
The Los Angeles Lakers had entrusted Shaq with a lot of money. But the big fella wanted to indulge. He wanted to do things out of amusement.
Shaquille O’Neal paid $1400 to book out an entire movie theatre, just so he can watch a movie for his amusement
Yes, Shaq was spending money. Quite freely might we add. “I bought every ticket, bro,” Shaq told Rick Reilly of Sports Illustrated, “I said, ‘How many seats in your theater?’ And the lady said, ‘Two hundred.’ And I said, ‘I’ll take ’em all!’ Seven bucks a ticket!”.
If we do the math correctly, it would seem Shaq spent $1400 to book a movie theatre so he could flex in front of a reporter. But, this is O’Neal, he loves his movies equally.
From his alter ego, Superman to Rocky IV that inspired him to live, Shaquille’s life was inspired by the big screen. He even made the big screen with Kazaam. Albeit, that one was a flop.
Not to worry though, we think his $120 million deal might have helped him sleep at night.
Shaq’s contract made waves and it shocked everyone in the NBA
Shaquille O’Neal’s 7-year contract with the Lakers in 1996 was worth $120 million. It was the largest contract in NBA history at the time. He earned an average annual salary of $17 million.
The sheer scale of the contract was bonkers at the time. A nine-figure sum on a check, it was revolutionary. It changed the way player salaries were structured.
And thanks to his formidable tandem with Kobe Bryant, the league didn’t really mind the size of the burgeoning contract. O’Neal’s contract set a new precedent for player salaries in the league. It changed the landscape of the NBA and paved the way for future superstar deals.
