“You Can’t Be a 7 ft Magic!”: Shaquille O’Neal, Who Was Slapped by His Father Due to Magic Johnson, Made Even the Lakers Legend Jealous

There was probably no brute force such as Shaquille O’Neal. The four-time champion was dominant. Oppositions were left with no answer to stop him from shaking the rim. A destructive talent, Shaq made a career worth of highlight moments. However, he wasn’t always driven to be Big Diesel. There was a time Shaq wanted to impersonate another Lakers legend, Magic Johnson. However, he soon realized it would be impossible for him to do so.

HBO’s new ‘Shaq’ documentary gives fans a peak into the life of the Los Angeles Lakers legend. The 7-foot-1 giant might have grown up to become a generational center. However, his heart also raced for doing Magic-like things on the court. Notably, the three-time Finals MVP revealed his military father slapped him for trying to impersonate the Hall of Famer. Likewise, from there Shaq was all about throwing down vicious dunks.

However, he soon also came to the realization that no matter what he did, there could never be another coming of one of the greatest playmakers of all time. Magic’s size, speed, and spectacular passing ability were one of a kind in the eyes of Shaq.

Shaquille O’Neal admits he could never be Magic Johnson

There was a time no figure was bigger than Magic Johnson. As the leader of the Showtime Lakers, the three-time MVP was regarded as the greatest player at the time. Moreover, with Johnson being in Los Angeles, Hollywood made him a global icon. He is highly regarded as the greatest point guard of all time. He is a true legend of the Lakers, bringing in five championships to the city. Likewise, speaking about being Magic, Shaquille O’Neal admitted his jealousy.

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He said: “I’m talking about the total package. You’re never gonna see a guy, that size, run that fast, on the fast break, catch it, and be able to do something with it. Sometimes, he was taking it off the board and going coast-to-coast. I said, “Wait a minute. It’s only one Magic. You can’t be a 7 ft Magic!”

Shaq not trying to be Magic Johnson might have benefitted his storyline in the league. Today, no modern player might come close to being in the same category as Shaquille O’Neal. The Big Diesel was dominant like no other. Making his own legend gave LA two of the most unique NBA legends. While Shaq destroyed the metric of dominance, Magic would be the commander. NBA fans dream about what could a Magic-Shaq duo could do. Either of the two proved to work with a player with a similar style.

As far as the Los Angeles Lakers go, the franchise got eight championships. Both Shaq and Magic added glory to the storied franchise. With the purple and gold cape on their backs, both the legends were vital in their way to making the Lakers the most successful NBA team in history.

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If Shaq tried to be Magic, do you think he would still be as dominant? Let us know your views in the comments below.