“Oh, hell no. I know I’m worth $100 million” – Dennis Scott reveals Shaquille O’Neal’s reaction after hearing about Alonzo Mourning’s Heat contract originally appeared on Basketball Network.
Dennis Scott developed a great bond with Shaquille O’Neal during their time with the Orlando Magic. At the time, O’Neal was already one of the most dominant centers in the league. However, Scott noted that the young Shaq has yet to fully recognize his true value as a player.
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To this day, “3-D” still vividly recalls the conversation he had with O’Neal ahead of the big man’s Orlando exit in 1996. As per Scott, Shaq had an idea about how much he could make regardless if he stays with the Magic or join a different team. However, O’Neal wanted to hear it from someone close to him to gauge if he was really worth $100 million.
As a true friend, Scott enthusiastically told Shaq that he could make that money without a doubt. However, it wasn’t until Dennis mentioned Alonzo Mourning‘s massive deal with the Miami Heat that same year when O’Neal finally realized how valuable he was.
“This is going to sound really crazy. Can you imagine Shaq being not as confident as he is right now? You can’t imagine that, right?” Scott told Yahoo Sports in 2019. “So, we’re playing an exhibition game at Anaheim against the Clippers, and Shaq’s going back and forth with me on the back of the bus. He pulled me to the side and said, ‘Hey, man, I think I might get $100 million? Is that going to be possible?’ I looked at him and said, ‘Are you really that naive? There’s no way you’re that humble.'”
“He said, ‘If I get $100 million, I’m not going to be able to go anywhere.’ Excuse my French, but I said, ‘You big son of a bit*h, you can’t go anywhere now,'” he continued. “Next thing you know: ‘Are you sure?’ I said, ‘Dude, trust me. Alonzo Mourning got $105 million.’ He goes, ‘Oh, hell no. I know I’m worth $100 million.'”
Shaq made over $100 million
For Scott, Shaq’s career could’ve also flourished with the Magic as far as being an individual player goes. At the same time, he also understood that it’s difficult for a player of O’Neal’s caliber to miss out on the opportunity to make the most money he could make.
In the summer of ’96, Shaq changed the NBA landscape by joining the Los Angeles Lakers via a seven-year deal worth $121 million. The way Scott saw it, Shaq’s move to L.A. was a pivotal moment for his marketability and it also shaped him to the larger-than-life personality he is today.
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“Then, he gets $115 million, and then it goes to $121 million and he leaves and goes to L.A.,” Scott looked back. “He wasn’t even thinking L.A. He was loving Orlando. It was the perfect place for him and his personality as he was trying to figure out himself, so by the time he got to L.A. and by the time he got to Miami he was Shaquille O’Neal.”
Shaq earned his keep
Some naysayers aired their opinions about Shaq’s staggering $121 million contract with the Lakers. They believed that O’Neal was a force, but he wasn’t worth that amount of money.
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However, Shaq proved them all wrong. He became the most unstoppable big man of his generation and led the Lakers to three NBA championships. Looking back at how O’Neal put the Lakers back on the map, it’s safe to say he really earned his money.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 12, 2025, where it first appeared.