185: Taste buds grow at the end of the large intestine (asking for monthly tickets!)

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After the championship parade, the Magic Team announced, "We are still in negotiations with Shaq for a contract extension, and the team will make every effort to bring him back to the Orlando Arena."

Of course, such nonsense is just like "You're really huge," not even the most naive fans would believe it.

How could someone who even missed the championship parade possibly return to Orlando?

As Magic had said, every team with cap space had launched an aggressive pursuit of Shaq.

However, the Los Angeles Lakers were the ones closest to him.

Jerry West had almost immediately flown to Orlando on a plane, ready to reap the fruit he had been waiting for a year.

Last year, when Shaq announced his intention to add a player option to his contract, Jerry West knew he still had a chance.

He had specifically set aside cap space for this day, abandoning all recruitment plans last summer.

He had been preparing for this day for a long time.