NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal is widely recognized as the most dominant big man in basketball history. His power and strength were unprecedented at the time, leading to a miraculous career with four championships, 15 All-Star appearances, two scoring titles, and an MVP.
Today, Shaq is mostly remembered as a Laker, but he started with the Orlando Magic. Over four years with the team, Shaq took the franchise to new heights alongside his young teammate and co-star, Penny Hardaway. Looking back, Penny will always appreciate his run with Shaq, but he’ll never forget the moment when he found out he was heading to the Lakers.
“Worst day of my life, I ain’t gonna lie. I knew the magnitude of that. But here’s the thing that was so crazy: Shaq never told me he was leaving. All of the international media were in our interview with the entire team,” said Penny on the Draymond Green Show. “We’re on a panel, and they’re asking each one of us questions. And one guy goes, ‘How does it feel not to have Shaq as a teammate?’ I’m like, ‘If that happens, then that will be devastating.’ That’s exactly what I said. They were like, ‘No, he’s about to sign a multi-year deal with the Lakers.’ I was like, ‘If that’s the case, then I wish him well.’ And then Shaq came to my room either that day or the next day, knocked on my door, and was like, ‘Bro, I’m sorry. I should have told you.’ I was done. It killed me.”
Together, Shaq and Penny took the Magic to their first Finals in franchise history, defeating Michael Jordan and the Bulls on the way there. On the court, their chemistry was solid, and Magic fans had visions of prosperity for the next decade to come. But when the Lakers came knocking in the summer of 1996, Shaq could not resist the pull, effectively turning his back on everything he had built in Orlando. For Penny, it was the ultimate betrayal, especially since he knew what it meant for his team.
“I’mma tell you what happened,” added Hardaway. “All of the entertainers in LA, Jerry West was so smart. He knew Shaq wanted to be in movies. Shaq went there, and they did everything. They threw everything at him. He forgot my name. They were like, ‘What about Penny?’ He was like, ‘Who?’ I was happy for him, but I knew what that meant to our franchise. You can’t lose that.”
Following Shaq’s heartbreaking exit, the Magic quickly faded into obscurity. On his own, Penny Hardaway was left to carry a massive workload, but he wasn’t nearly as effective without a reliable co-star to take the pressure off. Eventually, Hardaway would leave the Magic to try his luck elsewhere, but he retired without a single NBA championship, adding his name to the exclusive club. Meanwhile, Shaq would go on to win three straight championships in a legendary Lakers run.
Had Shaq stayed all those years ago, he would not have experienced the same success he had in Los Angeles, but it would have meant everything for a Magic team that was never the same after he left. Specifically, it could have greatly changed Penny Hardaway’s career and where we rank him among the greatest players ever.
