Shaquille O’Neal revealed the crucial mistake he made with the Orlando Magic that inspired three LA Lakers championships

Shaquille O’Neal admitted to a crucial mistake he made in the 1995 NBA Finals, which he thinks cost the Orlando Magic a championship.

He and Penny Hardaway led the Magic to their first-ever finals appearance after beating Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls.

The superstar duo then came up against Hakeem Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets in the championship round, but they were swept 4-0.

O’Neal was ashamed of his performance against the Rockets and promised himself never to make the same mistake again.

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O’Neal was understandably thrilled to make the Finals in just his third season in the NBA, but he got caught up in the moment rather than staying focused on the challenge ahead.

“It was my fault we lost. Because as a leader, I didn’t lead. After we beat the Bulls, I let up,” O’Neal said in taking full responsibility for the Magic’s loss.

“We beat Mike. We straight. We played Houston before. What did they give us? Even series. Hakeem is going to get 30. I’m going to get 27.’

“And, off the record, we had eight days off. Dennis Scott and I were doing things we weren’t supposed to be doing. And they had a little parade and all that. So, it taught me to never celebrate too early.

“We were just celebrating, and then when we get in the game, we’re hanging with them… I can’t blame it on Nick, but he misses the free throws. It’s my fault because I didn’t get the guys ready, but Nick misses the free throws, and we go down 0-2.

“Second game, we go down 0-2. We go to Houston, and we know we don’t have a shot, so we get swept. It taught me never to celebrate too early, and it also put that hunger in me.

“Okay, if I ever get back to the finals, I’ve got to dominate. 40s. Forget that 28 and 10 I’ve been talking about. That’s why when I made it back to the finals, I was trying to put up big numbers. If we don’t win, it’s going to be my fault, and as a leader, I accept that.”

Unfortunately for the Magic, O’Neal’s learnings did not pay dividends with them. Instead, he put things right years later with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Shaq won three consecutive championships alongside Kobe Bryant between 2000 and 2002 and deservedly won Finals MVP every time.

Shaquille O’Neal’s NBA Finals statistics showcase a significant growth in his game from his Magic days to his time with the LA Lakers.

While he still averaged an impressive 28 points, 12.5 rebounds, and six assists in his first finals, he really stepped up five years later.

O’Neal put up an astounding 38 points and 17 rebounds per game in the LA Lakers’ series win against the Indiana Pacers.

He also managed similar stat lines in the next two finals, as he clearly fulfilled his promise of taking them more seriously.