The Orlando Magic drafted Shaquille O’Neal as the first overall pick of the 1992 NBA draft and immediately put themselves on the NBA map. The inclusion of Penny Hardaway on the roster the following year ushered the newly founded franchise in the direction of a potential dynasty. However, things started to turn sour soon in paradise. Shaq once pointed out how Michael Jordan played a role in the whole fiasco.
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Shaq left the Orlando Magic in 1996 to join the Los Angeles Lakers for a staggering seven-year $120 million deal. However, the $120 million, which was an unprecedented sum of money for an NBA player at that time, wasn’t the only incentive for the Big Diesel to leave Orlando. There were other problems brewing in the Florida franchise. And Shaq detailed how the ‘Black Jesus’ put an end to all of it by sealing the fate of the franchise.
Shaquille O’Neal on how Michael Jordan played a part in his move to LA
The newly constructed Magic squad had the firepower to move mountains, fueled by the star pairing of Shaquille O’Neal and Penny Hardaway. However, the the two-edged spear would soon turn out to be the cause of the Magic’s downfall.
On multiple podcast appearances, Shaq has ascribed the rift in the team to the inability of the management to keep all sides happy. As it turns out, the 7’1 giant had supported Hardaway’s demand for a big contract, taking into consideration his massive potential. However, the Orlando front office failed to return the favor when it came to Shaq’s payday and the Lakers were more than happy to intervene. But where does MJ appear in all of this?
The Magic won the East in the 1995 playoffs to make it to the NBA Finals, where they would eventually be swept by the Hakeem Olajuwon-led Houston Rockets. On their way, they defeated a shaky Chicago Bulls side still trying to facilitate the return of Michael Jordan from retirement. However, the embarrassing loss wouldn’t sit well with the Bulls centerpiece.
The next year Jordan and the Bulls would sweep the Magic, which eventually would accelerate the disintegration of the franchise, starting with the departure of Shaq. The four-time NBA champion details His Airness’ impact on the event in his book Shaq Talks Back:
“When I think about all the things took that team apart, I also have to mention Black Jesus[Michael Jordan]…We were getting stronger and stronger. We took the Bulls out of the playoffs the year he came back from baseball. Then he got mad. Came back the next year and swept us. That helped break the team apart. Once we lost to Jordan, things started to go downhill.”
LA turned out to be a good choice for Shaq
Shaq has often highlighted his fascination for doing it all for the team that drafted him. But the logistics doesn’t always work out perfectly. However, Shaq’s move to LA would prove to be monumental for his career.
The 15-time All-Star would team up with Kobe Bryant to repeat the Bulls’ feat of the three-peat in the early 2000s. But it is hard to say whether that would have been possible without the Jordan-led Bulls decimating the Magic in the 1996 postseason.
