O’Neal Severs Ties to Agent Armato

Shaquille O’Neal has established a personal management company that will oversee all of his financial affairs, and therefore has ended his business relationship with Leonard Armato, his agent of 10 years.

O’Neal called the split “amicable.” Armato, who helped deliver the free-agent O’Neal to the Lakers before the 1996-97 season, said the decision was mutual, but declined further comment.

“We made history together,” O’Neal said. “It’s not the end of a relationship. It’s just a different relationship. I still value Leonard as a friend and advisor.”

A free agent after four seasons with the Orlando Magic, O’Neal signed a seven-year, $118-million contract with the Lakers. Before last season, he agreed to a three-year, $88.4-million extension, and will earn more than $206 million over 10 seasons with the Lakers. By 2005, the final season of the deal, O’Neal will earn $32.4 million.

O’Neal also owns a record label and a clothing company, both called “Twism.” He has released five rap CDs, including the new “Shaquille O’Neal Presents His Superfriends, Volume I.”

He has appeared in three movies, starring in two of them.

By some estimates, O’Neal has made more than $300 million in salary and other earnings in the decade since he came out of Louisiana State as the first player taken in the 1992 draft.

Armato, who represents Lisa Leslie, among others, also is the chief executive of professional beach volleyball’s AVP Tour.

O’Neal’s uncle, Mike Parris, apparently will handle O’Neal’s business dealings. The organization also will include an administrator brought over from Armato’s agency, a person familiar with O’Neal’s finances. The first order of business could be a shoe contract.

Although his Internet company, www.dunk.net, has foundered, O’Neal continues to wear Dunk sneakers.

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The Lakers play the Golden State Warriors tonight at Stan Sheriff Center at the University of Hawaii. It is the first of eight exhibitions, three against the Warriors. ... O’Neal, who had surgery on his toe at the end of August, still cannot run. Because of all his pool work, he has dubbed himself “Shaq-mu,” after the killer whale in San Diego. ... Individual-game tickets went on sale Saturday. By day’s end, only 8,000 tickets remained for the season.