Shaquille O’Neal’s Special Night Turns Sour for Former Teammate

Shaquille O’Neal‘s jersey retirement was a cheerful night, except when he called upon one of his former teammates to the stage during his speech. The Orlando Magic brought in some of their famous stars and legends from the ’90s to honor the 4x NBA champion. One of them was Dennis Scott, whom Shaq called up to the podium to thank. Sadly, an unexpected reaction from the crowd was showcased.

Remember how they say one’s past can always haunt them later in their life? This might be a case of it. Shaq wanted to thank all his former teammates on this special night. As he called on these legends one by one, there was a sudden uproar of boos for Dennis Scott which has left many surprised. What could be the reason? Is it his sudden meltdown in the summer basketball camp, in front of a crowd full of kids?

This was one of the most controversial incidents of Dennis Scott’s life which happened back in 1997. Scott played seven seasons for the Magic organization. After his last season with the Magic, Scott was accused of using drugs which disturbed him quite a bit. He took the summer camp as an opportunity to vent about it, but it backfired.

In an infamous video, Scott was seen screaming at the kids, denying autographs, and blasting loud music, which took a huge hit to his reputation. He also abruptly left the camp, though the kids and their parents were later refunded.

There is a good reason why this could be the incident which triggered the boos from the crowd today, but we are unsure yet. It wasn’t a big deal for Big Diesel though as he turned the spotlight on his “best friend” for good reason.

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The boos get evened out by Shaquille O’Neal’s appreciation for Dennis Scott

While the negative effect from the crowd can be disturbing, at least Shaq was very kind towards his former teammate. The 2000 NBA MVP was the color commentator for the Magic today, ahead of his jersey night. Looking back to his rookie days, Shaq showed his gratitude towards Scott, who helped come out of a bitter start.

During his first month in Orlando, the LSU legend lived in a hotel at the airport with his family. He said that he got a bill for $960,000 for his 45-day stay at the hotel, because he didn’t know anything about houses. Scott was the one who introduced Shaq to a realtor, and also showed the way to be a professional. The 4x NBA champion showed his gratitude to the Magic icon more than once during the broadcast.

Read more: Shaquille O’Neal Receives $53232.32 Honor at Jersey Retirement – but What’s the Significance of the Amount?

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