Shaquille O’Neal was excited to start a new chapter at the Phoenix Suns.
NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal played the best basketball of his career while wearing the iconic purple and gold jersey for the Los Angeles Lakers.
During his eight-year stint with the Lakers, O’Neill helped the team win three NBA championships, earning numerous individual accolades. However, O’Neill was traded for the Miami Heat in 2004.
O’Neal was beginning to show signs of slowing down, but he still played a key role in winning the 2006 NBA Championship alongside Dwyane Wade. On February 6th, 2008, Shaq’s mission with the heat was finished.
After winning the fourth and final ring of his career in 2006, O’Neill began to fade at an astonishing speed over the next two seasons.
With that in mind, it wasn’t a surprise when fever traded 36-year-old O’Neill for the Phoenix Suns in 2008. When he joined the Suns, O’Neill sent a strong message to his fans.
“I’m extremely excited to be here. I just want to fit in a good team. I’m just here to make everyone else better,” the 4X NBA champion claimed via UPI.com.
He added: “I was on a great team and I wanted it to happen. It’s exciting to help them get to the next level.”
It’s not easy for players in their mid-30s to trade with another team in the middle of the season.
Nonetheless, O’Neill showed great confidence in his desire to help the Sun reach the next level.
O’Neill wanted to help the Suns improve, but little did he know that being traded with Phoenix was the beginning of the end of the once dominant power.
Before trading with Diesel, the Suns had two conference finals and one conference semifinal over the past three years.
However, when Shaq appeared on the team, the Suns faced a first-round exit with the San Antonio Spurs during the 2008 NBA playoffs.
Worse, the Suns finished as the ninth seed of the West the following season when they missed the playoffs. That led to O’Neill’s departure from Phoenix.
The gorgeous Shaq only lasted another two years in the NBA in the NBA as he played one season with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics before announcing his retirement in 2011.