Shaquille O?Neal Once Dropped Unbelievable Praise Comparing Former Teammate With Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant: ?In That Category Before He Got Hurt?

NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal played with many legendary teammates throughout his career. From winning championships with Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade to falling just short with LeBron James, the four-time champion was truly blessed. However, there is one former teammate of his who goes unnoticed.

O’Neal was drafted by the Orlando Magic in 1992 and stayed there for four years. While he was in Orlando, he was part of one of the most exciting young duos in the league along with Penny Hardaway. The Magic reached the NBA Finals in 1995 and lost to the historic Chicago Bulls in 1996.

After that disappointment, O’Neal signed with the Los Angeles Lakers and formed an iconic duo with Kobe Bryant. However, Shaq felt Penny was in the same category as Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan before injuries hampered his career. A few years ago, O’Neal and Penny reminisced about their days in Orlando.

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ESPN released a 30-for-30 film in 2016 on the Orlando Magic team of the 90s. When asked why they were revisiting that time, Shaq dropped unbelievable praise on Hardaway. Shaq said, “We got lost in the shuffle as one of the greatest one-two punches in history. We wanted to make sure people didn?t forget. People talk about Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan, Penny was in that category before he got hurt.”

Penny agreed with the fact that they were forgotten. He said, “We felt like the story needed to be told. We were one of the forgotten teams. We wanted people to remember that we were pretty good.”

Shaquille O’Neal went on to achieve great success after leaving the Orlando Magic

While O’Neal left for pastures new, Penny Hardaway’s rising stock came crashing down after a devastating knee injury. He could never return to his previous glory. Meanwhile, O’Neal established himself as one of the greatest centers of all time. The Los Angeles Lakers won three championships in a row with O’Neal being named the Finals MVP each time.

He was eventually traded to the Miami Heat in 2004 where he won another championship. O’Neal also suffered various injuries at the end of his career. Both O’Neal and Hardaway have kept themselves busy after retiring from the NBA. While O’Neal has established a great business empire for himself, Hardaway is a coach in the American Athletic Conference.

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What might have been one of the greatest duos of all time, came to an abrupt end due to various reasons. What are your thoughts on Shaq comparing Penny to Kobe and Jordan? Let us know in the comments.