“Ego Kicked in a Little Bit..”: Lakers Legend Shaquille O’Neal Once Admitted Epic Run with Iconic Teammate Started Out of Spite

NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal is known mostly for his career with the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat. However, the team which instantly gave him the recognition was the Orlando Magic.

He was drafted as the #1 pick by the Magic and he spent an important part of his career in Orlando. Apart from Shaq, NBA icon Penny Hardaway was also one of the biggest stars in the Magic.

However, not everything was well between the two. Penny and Shaq formed a formidable duo and many expected them to win an NBA title very soon. 

But Shaq ended up joining the Los Angeles Lakers which ended the beautiful Shaq and Penny partnership. During a podcast, O’Neal revealed that he regrets leaving the Magic on a bad note with Penny. Moreover, he somewhat blamed his ego for this mess.

Shaq said, “At the end of my four years, Penny’s deal was up. He actually sat out, until they paid him. I was a supporter, ‘hey man, pay the man what he wants.’ So, Penny gets a lot of money.”

“When my deal was up, they didn’t want to give me the money that I wanted and they said it was Penny’s team. So instead of me talking to Penny, ego kicked in a little bit, and then, I tested out free agency.,” he added.

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Hardaway and Penny’s troubled relationship forced the 7-foot-1 inch NBA star to leave the Orlando Magic. He joined the Los Angeles Lakers and formed a legendary partnership with Kobe Bryant.

Shaquille O’Neal himself had once talked about what he could have achieved if he had stayed in the Orlando Magic and played with Hardaway. In hindsight, the Big Aristotle admitted that he should have maintained a better channel of communication with his teammate.

How good were Shaquille O’Neal and Hardaway together?

The Orlando Magic boasted of having one of the best players in the league on their team. It is none other than Shaquille O’Neal. Although he did not achieve an NBA title with the franchise, he has had a successful career in Orlando. None of this would have been possible without Penny Hardaway.

Playing with Penny, Shaq averaged 27.7 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 225 games. On the other hand, Hardaway averaged 17.5 points, 6.7 assists, and 4.5 rebounds in 225 games with Shaq.

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What is your favorite memory of Shaquille O’Neal and Penny Hardaway’s partnership in Orlando? Let us know in the comments down below.