“We got Shaq….wait…We had Shaq…Now they got Shaq.”

Shaquille O’neal is quotable. He once said, “From this day on, I would like to be known as the Big Aristotle.” The philosopher formerly known as “The Diesel” provided one of my best Lakers memories in the summer of 1996. It was rumored that O’neal was attempting to work out a trade from the Orlando Magic to the Lakers. I was in Oakland, California visiting friends when the news of the trade being finalized hit the newspapers. What do you think I talked about for the next 24 hours straight? We got Shaq. We got Shaq. I probably said it so much that I began mumbling, “We got Shaq” in my sleep.

Shaq is no longer a Laker but for eight years (1996-2004) the Lakers re-established themselves as a power in the Western Conference of the NBA. They won three straight championships from 2000-2002. But all of this was made possible because one dominant player carefully evaluated his career and changed teams in the off-season. The natural question I am tempted to ask of anyone who changes teams in the off-season is, “Did they evaluate carefully or did they quit?” There is a fine line between quitting and changing teams for good reason. Perhaps Orlando Magic fans were not as pleased with Shaq’s departure as I was with his arrival. They may have viewed him as someone abandoning a franchise primed for another run at the NBA title. Orlando had lost to Houston in the 1995 NBA Finals. Nevertheless, Shaq may have made the best choice for his career and his family.

When a player leaves a team at the professional level it often has to do with one of two things: money and/or an opportunity to win a championship. After being swept in the NBA Finals by the Houston Rockets in 1995, Shaq undoubtedly desired another chance at a championship. He had to decide if he would get such an opportunity in Orlando or would he stand a better chance somewhere else. He chose Los Angeles as a possibility with its history of winning and current distress. By the time Shaq joined the team in L.A. the days of “Showtime” were long gone. The Lakers were not a viable Western Conference contender in the mid-90s but Shaq apparently saw an opportunity to rebuild a franchise. He evaluated carefully and made his move. It resulted in three championships. In 2004 he moved again and it resulted in another championship with the Miami Heat.

There’s likely a very fine line between quitting, selling out to highest bidder and capitalizing on a sound opportunity. It’s easy to trivialize which of these categories best describes our choices to “change teams”. Most if not all of us are susceptible to temptation by money and/or attention. But if and when new opportunities present themselves, the only requisite is honesty and courage. The honesty will show you your raw motivation and the courage will propel you toward making a decision most consistent with who you were created to be.