First, tip ‘o the hat to our friends at BasketballNetwork.net for this story. Gotta admit, this is one we hadn’t heard before… and that’s not something we say very often here at the ShaqFu Radio blog offices…
When the final horn sounded in Game 5 of the 2004 NBA Finals, most fans focused on the Detroit Pistons celebrating their first title since 1990. But the real seismic shift happened on the other side of the floor. Shaquille O’Neal — the most dominant force of his generation — walked off with his head down, unknowingly wearing his Lakers No. 34 jersey for the last time.
What had been bubbling for years finally boiled over: internal tension, championship fatigue, and the Kobe–Shaq power struggle. After winning three straight titles together, the Lakers were forced into a decision. And they chose the younger star, Kobe Bryant, as their long-term centerpiece.
That meant the unthinkable became possible — Shaq was suddenly available.
And one NBA legend was ready to pounce: Larry Bird.
Bird Wanted Shaq “At Any Cost”
At the time, Bird was running basketball operations for the Indiana Pacers — and according to Shaq’s memoir Shaq Uncut, he pushed hard to bring the Hall of Fame big man to Indiana.
“Larry Bird was running the show in Indiana, and he really wanted me to come there. He offered the Lakers anyone they wanted from his roster,” Shaq revealed.
After battling O’Neal in the 2000 NBA Finals as a head coach — and watching Shaq torch his Pacers for 40 points and 24 rebounds in Game 2 — Bird understood better than anyone just how unstoppable the Diesel could be.
“Sometimes two or three guys can’t stop him,” Bird said at the time. “He’s awesome.”
By 2004, the Pacers were contenders again, led by Jermaine O’Neal, Ron Artest, and Reggie Miller. But when Shaq became available, Bird was ready to push his chips in. Had talks continued, Jermaine likely would’ve been the centerpiece of the offer — and Bird was willing to part with him.
Shaq Still Had Plenty in the Tank
The Lakers tried to frame Shaq’s 2003–04 season as a “down year,” but his numbers hardly reflected a decline. He still averaged 21.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, and showed out in the Finals against Detroit’s elite defense.
Bird wasn’t fooled — he knew Shaq could still dominate.
Ultimately, the Pacers’ dream never came together. Instead, the Lakers sent Shaq to Miami for Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, Brian Grant, and a future pick.
The rest is basketball history.
Shaq went on to help lead the Heat to the 2005 East Finals, then delivered the franchise’s first-ever championship in 2006 alongside a young Dwyane Wade.
Indiana, meanwhile, took a very different turn. Nine games into the 2004–05 season came the Malice at the Palace — a brawl that changed the Pacers’ trajectory overnight.
What Could Have Been?
Shaq in Indiana. Kobe in L.A. without his legendary big man. Jermaine O’Neal in purple and gold. A Pacers title run that maybe — just maybe — avoids the chaos of the Palace.
It’s one of the great NBA “what ifs,” and a reminder of how close the league came to rewriting its own history.