No other person in the entire Orlando Magic organization had endured the biggest blow of Shaquille O’Neal’s exit more than Penny Hardaway.
In his recent appearance on the Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis, Hardaway got brutally honest about losing his running mate and co-franchise superstar in 1996 NBA free agency — an event he never became aware of until O’Neal confessed to him during Team USA’s Olympic preparations.
“Worst day of my life,” Hardaway said. “I ain’t gonna lie.
“That was so crazy. Shaq never told me he was leaving. Like all of the international media was in there in our interview with the entire team, we’re on panel, and they’re asking each one of us questions. And one guy asked me, ‘How does it feel not to have Shaq as a teammate?’
“I looked around my teammates Grant Hill, Gary Payton, Charles Barkley, and I’m like, ‘If that happens, then that will be devastating.’ That exactly what I said and they was like, ‘No, he’s about to sign a multi-year deal with the Lakers.’ I was like, ‘If that’s the case, I wish him well.’
“And then Shaq came to my room, knocked on my door, and was like, ‘Bro, I’m sorry I should have told you, I was done [in Orlando].’ It killed me, it killed me.”
O’Neal was drafted by the Magic for the first overall pick of the 1992 Draft and was instantly perceived as the league’s next big thing. He and Hardaway formed one of the most electrifying one-two-punch combos in the ‘90s, propelling Orlando into a title powerhouse by stamping three-straight playoff appearances and a trip to the 1995 NBA Finals.
Yet in the summer of 1996, rumblings occurred about whether O’Neal deserved to get paid by Orlando as he was doubted for his leadership and caliber as the main man of the Magic. Offended, O’Neal proceeded to join the Lakers in a reported seven-year, $121 million mega deal.
The rest was just simply history, but it needs to be further discussed how the Magic fumbled everything by allowing O’Neal to part ways.
After O’Neal’s departure, Orlando found hardships in maintaining its relevance in the NBA. As such, it served as their downfall as Hardaway eventually struggled from injuries.
Benefitting from O’Neal’s arrival, the Lakers emerged as a powerhouse with the legendary big man at their helm. Under O’Neal and Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles established a basketball dynasty by clinching a three-peat championship feat from 2000 to 2002.
In hindsight, Hardaway can only wonder about the ‘What-Ifs’ if the Magic had become even more serious about committing to O’Neal during that time.
“I was happy for him, but I knew what that meant to our franchise,” Hardaway said. “You can’t lose that.”
Related Posts
