Shaq Doesn't Think LeBron James Needs to Chase Championships Anymore
Shaquille O'Neal has some advice for LeBron James heading into free agency. The Hall of Fame center says he was seeking championships later in his career and doesn't think James should do the same thing, according to ESPN.
"My problem toward the end of my career was I was trying to shut everybody up and I was greedy [for more championships]," O'Neal told ESPN. "After I got to three [titles], everybody was saying I couldn't get another. So I got four. After I got the fourth, they were saying I couldn't get another one. So I was trying to make quick stops to get it. Phoenix, Cleveland, Boston."
During his 19-year career, O'Neal won three championships with the Lakers and one with the Heat. He did not win any more rings during the end of his career. O'Neal was traded from Miami to Phoenix during the 2007 season and spent the following year there as well. He played his last two seasons with the Cavaliers and Celtics before retiring.
With 15 seasons under his belt and a 3-6 record in the NBA Finals, James is looking to join a team that can help him win another title. He can hit free agency this summer if he declines the player option on his contract with the Cavaliers.
If he does so and becomes an unrestricted free agent, teams can begin contacting James on July 1. The Cavaliers could try to outmatch other organizations by offering their star a five-year max contract worth $205 million.
LeBron James And All His Free Agency Options
But O'Neal doesn't think James needs to worry about winning more championships because his legacy is already established.
"Somebody told me a long time ago -- they said your book is already set [before the later stages of your career]. You can add index pages toward the end, but your book is already set. So LeBron's book is already set," O'Neal said.
"He done already passed up legends; he done already made his mark -- he has three rings," O'Neal continued. "His mentality now is probably: I want to get four before Steph does. That's probably his mentality now. But if I was him, I wouldn't be trying to get four, five and six because it ain't going to matter. It's just something else to talk about, something else to add to the pages. He's a legend, talked about as who is the best between he and Michael Jordan, so he's set."
