“Having one championship is like having one car; it's not enough for me” – When Shaq promised to win more championships with the Lakers in 2000

Shaquille O'Neal was a dominant player in his prime, and a lot of that dominance was shown in his early years in the NBA. However, Shaq established himself with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000. It was a special year for the top pick of the 1992 Draft since it was the same season he won his first NBA title.

With his dominance in the 1999-2000 season, LA knew it had to secure O'Neal's services in the years to come. Shaq was handed a three-year contract extension. This meant "The Big Aristotle" would stay in Hollywood for six more seasons and earn over $152 million.

"I look forward to ending my career as a Laker. Having one championship is like having one car -- it's not enough for me. Last year was a start for us, hopefully we can keep going," O'Neal said after agreeing to the new deal via the New York Times .

O'Neal handed the Lakers their first NBA title after 12 years and was named the regular season MVP. Moreover, Shaq Fu won the NBA Finals MVP award, capping an unforgettable year for the New Jersey native.

Hack-A-Shaq

The Indiana Pacers tried but failed to contain O'Neal in the 2000 NBA Finals. Physically, it was impossible to clamp down on Shaq, which was a huge problem for then-Pacers coach Larry Bird, who needed to do something to even the odds.

The only downside to Shaq's game was his free throw shooting. According to Pacers legend Reggie Miller, Bird was aware of this, and Indiana resorted to sending O'Neal to the free-throw line as much as possible back then.

"We have no answer for Shaq. We're not gonna have any answer in this series. What we're gonna do…. we're just gonna Hack-A-Shaq, and he's gonna have to make free throws," Miller shared when he appeared on the " Dan Patrick Show ."

As a result, O'Neal was atrocious from the line. He shot only 38.7% from the free-throw line. Unfortunately for the Pacers, they failed to do their share. Miller's shooting was erratic, just 46.7% from the field and 37.5% from the three-point region. Aside from Miller, big man Rik Smits struggled with foul trouble and injuries.

O'Neal was not the only problem that the Pacers had to deal with. Kobe Bryant was still around, and the "Black Mamba" stepped up when it mattered most. Pacers guard Mark Jackson felt that a critical point in the series was when the 13th overall pick of the 1996 Draft took over in Game 4 .

"Shaq fouls out, we go into overtime, and Kobe Bryant basically says, give me the basketball, get out my way, and takes over the game," the former Pacers guard said on the " Mark Jackson Show ."

The Lakers won three consecutive titles with O'Neal and Bryant leading the way. Unfortunately, the two stars started feuding, and Shaq got traded to the Miami Heat in 2004.

Related: "I saw that this guy used to kill me" - Shaquille O’Neal was motivated to go at Rik Smits in the 2000 NBA Finals