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Shaquille O'Neal Reveals Real Reason Why Dream Frontcourt Duo With Dirk Nowitzki Never Happened
Shaquille O'Neal recently revealed how the Lakers' front office blocked his potential move to the Dallas Mavericks, preventing him from teaming up with Dirk Nowitzki in 2004.
Shaquille O'Neal is considered one of the greatest centers ever, and Dirk Nowitzki is one of the greatest power forwards ever. These two all-time great frontcourt players almost teamed up in 2004 and created the most fearsome frontcourt in NBA history.
Shaquille O'Neal himself revealed this almost team-up on a recent episode of The Big Podcast with Shaq, which featured Dirk Nowitzki as a guest. The two legends covered a range of topics in the fun-filled podcast.
After the loss in the 2004 NBA Finals, Shaquille O'Neal was a disgruntled superstar in the 2004 offseason. Shaq had a fallout with fellow Lakers star Kobe Bryant as he wanted out of the Lakers at any cost.
However, Shaq was under contract with the Lakers at the time, therefore the only way out for him was through a trade. On July 14, 2004, the Los Angeles Lakers traded Shaq to the Miami Heat. However, before that infamous trade happened, Shaq desperately wanted to go to Dallas and play alongside Dirk.
Shaquille O’Neal confirms call with Mark Cuban regarding possible collaboration with Dirk Nowitzki
On the recent episode of The Big Podcast with Shaq, Shaq revealed that he tried to join the Dallas Mavericks in the 2004 offseason (from the 32:31 mark). He reached out to then-Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban in an attempt to broker a deal, but the deal didn't materialize. Shaq expressed his desire to go to Dallas, stating, "Trust me, I tried to get to Dallas many times."
He mentioned that Mark Cuban was the first person he called, but the Lakers' general manager at the time, Mitch Kupchak, didn't want to trade Shaq to their Western Conference rivals Dallas Mavericks. According to Shaq, he urged Cuban to do whatever it took to make the trade happen, but ultimately, the Lakers wouldn't agree to it.
Shaq talking about it podcast clip:
Shaq mentioned he pleaded with Cuban and told him, “Whatever you got to do to get me there.” The NBA legend continued, “He's [Cuban] like: ‘The Lakers won't do it, man,' and I was like: ‘Make them do it, Mark.'…they wouldn't do it, but that would have been nice because I love Dallas.”
The Shaq and Dirk duo, another NBA ‘What if?’
Shaq's admission on his podcast prompted his co-host, Adam Lefkoe, and NBA fans to contemplate ‘What If’ Shaq got traded to Dallas in 2004. Many believe that Shaq joining the Mavericks would have instantly made them title favorites. The duo of Shaq and Dirk Nowitzki would have been arguably the greatest frontcourt in NBA history. Dirk himself acknowledged hearing rumors about Shaq potentially joining Dallas and expressed his desire for it to materialize.
“I remember there were a few rumblings around at the time, and then you obviously went to Miami and then you guys beat us in '06. That was a tough move,” he said.
Shaq was eventually traded to the Miami Heat. In a cruel twist of fate, the Heat defeated Dirk Nowitzki's Mavericks in the 2006 NBA Finals. Many speculate that if Shaq had joined Dirk in Dallas in 2004, the Mavericks would have won a championship by 2006. However, Dirk ultimately secured his championship in 2011.
For the unversed, back then, you had Shaq, a three-time NBA Finals MVP (2000, 2001, 2002) and a one-time regular season MVP (2000). On the other hand, you had Dirk Nowitzki, the greatest stretch-four power forward, a one-time NBA regular season MVP (2007), and the 2011 Finals MVP.
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