If the Lakers were not able to sign Shaq...

[AcecardZ]

It STILL amazes me how Jerry West traded away Vlade on Draft Day without having Shaq signed yet, the logo is truly amazing, may he FOREVER be the logo

I was going to ask whether or not you guys thought West was so high on Kobe he'd have traded Vlade for him even if the Shaq deal wasn't an option or fell through. This post makes me think he might have.

[jojo4341]

Before he actually landed Shaq, I thought he was nuts. I thought Shaq wasn't coming at all and the fact that he traded Vlade who was beloved in LA for an unproven and un-hyped SG from high school made me cringe. I do recall him during draft night that he really was high on Kobe. I guess he saw something in him than no one else did, though I don't think even he imagined how good he'd become. I was also angry at how he sent George Lynch and Anthony Peeler to Vancouver for nothing just to make even more room for Shaq. Even after we got Shaq, it was hard to see him trade Ceballos for Horry...although it's easy to say NOW that that was a great move. West said he and Ceballos cried when they had to break the news to him.

[salmahayek]

I wasn't in the room to hear it myself, but I'm petty sure Shaq had a big hand in shipping out Ceballos and Van Exel.

Shaq wanted Ceballos' touches on the low block and Van Exel wasn't "feeding the Big Dog" enough.