Shaquille O'Neal Compares Westbrook-Durant Situation to His Free Agency

Professional athletes earn the right to free agency once they play a certain amount of time in their respective leagues, but should they choose to leave their teams, some feel there is a proper way to go about things.

A lot of people had a problem with LeBron James when he left Cleveland via "The Decision." When Kevin Durant left Oklahoma City for Golden State this past summer, many took issue with the fact the former MVP didn't keep his All-Star teammate Russell Westbrook in the loop.

For Shaquille O'Neal, the latter is something he can relate to—because he did something similar during his playing days.

Shaq sat down with Fox Sports for a one-on-one over All-Star Weekend and gave his thoughts on the league. Given that the Durant-Westbrook relationship was the story of the weekend, that was a topic of conversation. Here's what the Inside the NBA analyst had to say on the matter, via Brett Pollakoff:

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FOX SPORTS: So, maybe the biggest story line of the season is the Kevin Durant-Russell Westbrook situation. What's your take on that, what do you think is going on there?

O'NEAL: I've been in a similar situation. Probably due to lack of communication. I can understand what Russell's going through. I did the same thing to Penny [Anfernee Hardaway] when I signed in L.A. Me, I felt there was no need to call anybody and tell them what I was doing, and I'm sure Penny was hurt by that. I'm sure that's what it is. And then Russell's probably saying, "You was my man, but you go to the team that beat us, and you don't even call me to tell me?" So it's just a lack of communication. They were always friends and always tight and always played together. But one lack of communication can cause everything.

FOX SPORTS: Did you have any strained time with Penny after you left Orlando?

O'NEAL: No. I felt I didn't need to. People make their own decisions based on how they feel.

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NBA players are often judged by one thing and one thing only: championships. Shaq never won a title until he went to Los Angeles, so regardless of whether Hardaway liked the way his former teammate left, he had to respect the results that followed—three rings in L.A. and one more in Miami.

If Durant winds up winning a championship with the Warriors, he can go to sleep at night knowing he made a decision that impacted his legacy for the better. Some may say he took the easy way out by joining a stacked team, but a ring is a ring.

There's no doubt Shaq is content with the way his career post-Orlando turned out.