Shaquille O’Neal was one of the most lucrative draws of the 1992 NBA Draft, with nearly every single team trying to trade up to snag him in the lottery. The Orlando Magic however, a team that had recently formed, had the first pick bestowed upon them and it was clear who they were going to take.
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Shaq, coming out of LSU, looked like the complete big-man with everything from a dominant inside game, a lethal second jump on the boards, and a decent handle of the ball in the open floor. Not to mention the fact that O’Neal at that time was incredibly athletic and hadn’t put on the size that he acquired with the Lakers.
The Magic made it very clear that they wanted to draft him and the first year of his rookie contract would get him $3 million a year. However, it was up to Shaq and his camp if he wanted to accept being drafted to Orlando.
Shaquille O’Neal played pick-up with Magic Johnson instead of deciding his team
Shaquille O’Neal wasn’t sure on whether or not he wanted to start off his NBA career on team that had just been formed, that too in the city of Orlando. While it was an honor to be the first overall pick, he needed time to think about his decision.
So, while pondering over a potentially life-altering decision, Shaq went to regular UCLA runs with none other than Magic Johnson. Magic, who had been diagnosed with having contracted HIV in November of 1991 leading to an early retirement, continued to play basketball in his spare time.
These UCLA runs saw several big-names show up and they all got a glimpse of Shaq and his dominance. ‘The Big Aristotle’ would later go on to tell NBC’s Bob Costas that he could never block Magic’s hook shot because the arc was too high, except for the one time when he did get a bit of the ball.
Of course, as history would dictate, Shaq did eventually sign with the Orlando Magic and stayed with them for 4 years from 1992-1996.
Shaquille O’Neal never truly felt one with the Magic
Shaquille O’Neal started off his journey in the NBA by withholding himself from the team that desperately wanted him. This set the tone for what would be a fairly successful but tumultuous 4-year run.
Shaq would go on to threaten the Magic front office in merely his sophomore year, telling them that he would request a trade if they didn’t draft Penny Hardaway. In the summer of 1996, O’Neal would famously get lowballed by the Magic front office, leading him to seek a contract from elsewhere.
A poll that was released that asked if Shaq was worth $120 million over 7 years that had voters vote ‘NO’ for a majority was the nail in the coffin. He would leave the Magic and join Jerry West’s Los Angeles Lakers.
