INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) - Shaquille O'Neal and Magic Johnson called. So did some Hollywood heavyweights. And the Lakers dialed Rick Fox's phone constantly to persuade the free agent to come to Los Angeles.

The hard sell worked.

Fox signed a one-year, $1 million deal Thursday, ending a two-month pursuit that involved the Lakers, Cleveland, Atlanta and New York.

'We're really excited,' Lakers general manager Jerry West said. 'I can't tell you how much we think the versatility of Rick will add to our team.'

Fox turned down Cleveland's four-year offer worth $20 million and Atlanta's promise of a guaranteed starting job for the championship potential of the Lakers.

'The Lakers won out over all of them slightly because they had all those things and a little more,' he said at the Forum.

'I turned down a lot of money, but when you're not blinded by money, you're able to see the total picture. If money was the only factor, I would be in Cleveland, but it isn't.'

Fox didn't want to be in Boston anymore. The Celtics were 15-67 last season, the worst in club history.

'That's not my idea of joyful basketball,' he said. 'Mentally and physically, losing was draining.'

Fox, who played his first six years in the NBA with Boston, left despite the interest of new coach Rick Pitino, who couldn't keep the team captain because of the salary cap.

The Lakers' own salary cap limitations prevented them from offering Fox more than a two-year deal, but he opted for one year.

'I look at it as a one-year deal financially, but it's also for me a start to a new career and a new beginning,' he said. 'I hope that one will turn into many years.'

The forward said his chances of playing on a championship team are better in Los Angeles than Cleveland, Atlanta or New York.

'You have to be pretty blind not to see that championships are going to be going through here for the next 10 years,' he said. 'I want to win now. After losing for four years, I've had enough.'

The Lakers finished with a 56-26, record but failed to get past the Western Conference semifinals for the third straight season.

Fox, 28, said his goal is to help the Lakers win 60 or more games, something they haven't done since winning 63 in 1989-90.

He averaged a career-high 15.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 76 games with the Celtics last season.

'Here's a player that we feel is just now getting to the prime of his career,' West said. 'He can shoot the ball and we got another great free-throw shooter. He doesn't have to be taught the nuances of the game.'

Fox figures to contribute significantly since the Lakers have lost forward Travis Knight and guard Byron Scott. Knight signed a free-agent contract with the Celtics.

and Scott signed a contract to play in Greece.

There's no guarantee Fox will crack the starting lineup of Elden Campbell, Robert Horry, Shaquille O'Neal, Nick Van Exel and Eddie Jones.

'I look at myself more as a glue. I do a lot of different things and I do them well,' he said. 'I'm capable of starting, I don't know what other guys on the team are comfortable with.' [[In-content Ad]]