Shaquille O’Neal entered the league in 1992 and grabbed it by the scruff of its neck and cemented himself as one of the most dominant athletes in the game. After acquiring Shaq as a first-draft pick, the Orlando Magic brought in more reinforcement the next season in Penny Hardaway. After this acquisition, the Magic became a force to reckon with in the Eastern Conference and playoff runs soon followed.
But Shaq didn’t think twice about jumping to the Lakers in 1996, where he teamed up with Kobe Bryant and went on to create a dynasty. Looking on from Orlando was Penny Hardaway, who thought he was hard done by Shaq’s move to the west.
Recently on the “Point Forward” podcast, the former Suns guard touched on the issue of Big Diesel’s departure from the Magic and how it ruined their shot at the NBA championship. “Watching [Shaq] and Kobe [Bryant] together, for sure, there was some jealousy there because I felt like that should have been me and [him]… If we [had] stayed together, there would have been championships won,” Hardaway admitted.
Since Hardaway and Shaq teamed up at the Magic, the franchise made 3 consecutive playoffs with one NBA Finals appearance in 1995, which ended in a loss to the Rockets.
Given the progressive trajectory shown by the Magic, Shaquille O’Neal and Co. could’ve possibly bagged an NBA championship but for the center, the temptation to join the Lakers was too much, where he created the deadliest one-two punch in the league.
Shaquille O’Neal Explains How He Succeeded With Kobe Bryant
Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant made one of the best lethal duos in the league to ever play the game. Shaq and Kobe’s on-court chemistry and telepathic connection were fundamental to the Lakers’ championship string from 2000-2002. But something had to give when the two massive personalities chased their ultimate dream together.
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In a recent episode of the “Point Game with CJ & John Wall” podcast, Shaq explained the sacrifices required for their success together. “When you’ve got two guys competing with each other on the same team, and nobody’s going to break that, it’s a disaster for everybody else,” said Big Aristotle. He further explained the need to be the wiser man to let Kobe have the free throws due to his own deficient record and only after that did the duo click together to get those championships.
After 8 years with the Lakers, Shaq left the Lakers in 2004 to join the Heat due to the duo’s differences. While the 7 footer won only one championship after leaving LA, Kobe went on to add two more to his collection, which to this day eats up Shaquille O’Neal.
Also Read: ‘Kobe Bryant Once Almost Joined Pistons,’ Reveals NBA Insider
