Grizzlies General Manager Stu Jackson stared at his phone in disbelief after taking a call from the Los Angeles Lakers.
"Are you serious?" he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.
"Shaquille O'Neal? If you guys can really land Shaq, I'll give you Mo Ran and throw in two more first-round picks!"
After hanging up, Stu Jackson chuckled to himself.
To him, the Lakers' proposal sounded absurd.
"Can you believe it? The Lakers just told me they're trading Shaq for Mo Ran!"
Stu scoffed to his staff.
"Why even trade for Mo if they can sign Shaq outright?"
From Jackson's perspective, the difference was obvious:
Shaquille O'Neal was a proven force in the NBA, already capable of leading a team to the Finals.Mo Ran, on the other hand, was still an unproven rookie, despite being a No. 1 pick.
Similar debates raged inside the Lakers' front office.
Some executives questioned West's plan.
"If we can get Shaq directly, why gamble on Mo Ran?"
But Jerry West, "The Logo," silenced the room with conviction.
"Because Mo Ran is more valuable than Shaq in the long run."
West laid out his case:
"Mo is 19 years old. When Shaq was 19, he couldn't even lead LSU past the NCAA semifinals."
He continued, emphasizing Mo Ran's accomplishments:
In his freshman year, Mo led Georgetown to the NCAA finals. The following year, he won the national championship, dominating the competition.
"Mo Ran's dominance in college surpasses what Shaq did at LSU," West argued.
"And let's not forget the opponents he faced."
West referenced Georgetown's matchup against top-tier schools, including Mo Ran's performance against Tim Duncan, widely regarded as the best college prospect of the era.
"If I had to choose between rookie Shaq and rookie Mo, I'd take Mo.
And if I had to choose between 24-year-old Shaq and 19-year-old Mo Ran, I'd STILL take Mo," West said confidently.
"When Mo reaches Shaq's current age, he'll be even more dominant!"
With West's unwavering belief, the Lakers front office was convinced.
Meanwhile, in Orlando, the Magic management was equally stunned when the Lakers called.
"Are you serious?"
They had been hesitant to re-sign Shaq, but losing him for nothing was unthinkable.
The Lakers' offer provided a solution:
Trade Shaq, get value in return, and build around Penny Hardaway.
For Orlando, it was a no-brainer.
July 8 – The Blockbuster Deal is Done!
After days of negotiations, the NBA officially approved a three-team trade that sent shockwaves through the league.
The deal involved:
Orlando Magic, Vancouver Grizzlies, Los Angeles Lakers
The Full Trade Details:
Orlando Magic receive:
Vlade Divac (from the Lakers)Additional role players to support Penny Hardaway
Vancouver Grizzlies receive:
Shaquille O'Neal (via sign-and-trade, 7 years, $120 million)Tyus Edney (from the Lakers)
Los Angeles Lakers receive:
Mo Ran (1996 No. 1 overall pick)Vancouver's 1997 and 1999 first-round picks Kenny Smith & Brian Shaw (from Orlando)
Stu Jackson was stunned when the deal was finalized.
"We just landed Shaq?!"
Although the Grizzlies had lost Mo Ran, they gained a franchise-altering centerpiece in O'Neal.
Stu still believed the Lakers had lost their minds, but he wasn't going to complain about getting two future first-round picks as compensation.
The American media exploded with reactions:
"The Lakers traded for a rookie instead of keeping Shaq?!"
"Is Jerry West telling us that Mo Ran is more valuable than Shaq?"
ESPN analysts were baffled.
"If I had to choose, I'd take Shaq any day."
Criticism poured in, with some commentators calling it "one of the worst moves in NBA history."
But Jerry West remained unfazed. He had a vision.
David Stern's Delight
NBA Commissioner David Stern couldn't be happier.
Mo Ran in Los Angeles meant the league had just unlocked a massive new market—China.
"Schedule a Lakers game against the Bulls on Christmas Day," Stern ordered his assistant.
"Jordan vs. Mo Ran. The ratings will be through the roof!"
Mo Ran's Reaction
Far away in Washington, Mo received a call from Iverson.
"Mo, you're really going to the Lakers?" Iverson laughed. "So now we're rivals, huh?"
Georgetown's legendary duo—once inseparable—were now at the heart of the NBA's fiercest rivalry:
Lakers vs. Celtics.
Mo couldn't help but smile.
"Fate is funny like that, huh?"
However, Mo soon realized something—
Kobe Bryant had NOT been traded to the Lakers.
The dream duo of Shaq and Kobe was no longer a possibility.
Instead, it was now the Mo-K team.
"MK... that doesn't sound too bad," Mo thought.
But the Lakers still needed a second star.
Little did Mo know, Jerry West wasn't done yet.
West's Next Move
Inside the Lakers' front office, a tense meeting was underway.
"Are we really making this call?" a staffer asked nervously.
West nodded without hesitation.
"If you won't do it, I will."
He picked up the phone and dialed.
"Hello, Red? I want to talk to you about Allen Iverson."
Meanwhile, in Boston, Celtics GM Red Auerbach was already planning his next move.
With Mo Ran off the table, Auerbach was eyeing the 1997 draft class—specifically, Tim Duncan.
"We need to tank for Duncan," he muttered to his staff.
But when he saw the call from Jerry West, his curiosity was piqued.
"Jerry? You want to talk about Iverson?"
Auerbach leaned back in his chair, intrigued.
The chess game had just begun.