The Lakers boast the most A-list celebrity fans. For better or worse, these stars’ influence has impacted the team. One such instance is Hollywood stars like Demi Moore and Bruce Willis who helped late Jerry West sign 7 ft 1 basketball star Shaquille O’Neal to the Lakers roster back in 1996. While O’Neal’s Orlando Magic teammate wanted him to stay and win a championship with the franchise, all he could do was accept the truth.

Former NBA player Penny Hardaway recalled how some of the biggest celebrities and entertainers, along with the then GM, tried to persuade O’Neal to join the Lakers. “I didn’t want him to go but I found out that Bruce Willis and Demi Moore all these entertainers and actors out in LA helped recruit him with Jerry West to come out there and it was two overwhelming and Shaq in the movies and in the music…No, it was a great career move for him because going LA was a bigger market than Orlando,” Hardaway said on ‘Let’s Be Clear’ Podcast.

While this fractured the Magic’s chances at the championship, Hardaway admitted that it was a great career opportunity for the 4x NBA Champ. The Memphis Tigers’ coach explained that not winning a Championship was the only regret he had. During his appearance at The Big Podcast with Shaq, O’Neal also expressed his disappointment for not being able to win a championship with the Orlando Magic in 1995.

However, O’Neal was able to win three of his titles with the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2000s. As the 4x NBA champ recalled, it was a very brief conversation between him and West.

Shaquille O’Neal recalled Jerry West’s inspiring story

The Logo assured him that he would win a championship in a few years. Moreover, the Lakers had also brought Kobe Bryant to the team to form the iconic duo. But initially, it wasn’t easy, and O’Neal often lost his temper. Once, after a disappointing loss, he lost his patience and began to break urinals off the walls.

“He (Jerry West) said, ‘Son, calm down. I went to the Finals nine times before I won it with the Lakers,’ so I didn’t feel as bad. So I’m ripping a urinal off, and I was like, ‘Hold on, you went to the Finals nine times and lost?’ He said, ‘Calm down! You’ll get it! You’ll get it,” O’Neal said about West on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

It’s interesting how West was the one who calmed him down by sharing his own experiences with the champ. As many might already know, the late legend made 9 NBA Finals appearances for the Lakers but could only win once.

Shaq was surprised to hear the story and realized that he would have to be more patient with himself and the team. While O’Neal and West had quite a different personality, the two truly shared a great “kinship” as the ‘Big Aristotle’ described.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud, Caitlin Clark’s Olympic snub, and more, watch this video.