Shaquille O’Neal revealed how his split with Penny Hardaway and the Orlando Magic was a common taunt at the 1996 US Olympic team camp.
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Shaquille O’Neal and Penny Hardaway were touted to be the duo that would run the league in the late 1990s. The hopes for the young duo escalated after the Magic made a premature trip to the NBA Finals in 1995.
However, after Shaq was lowballed by the Orlando Magic, he decided his time was up. O’Neal packed his bags to Los Angeles and embarked on the second chapter of a successful career.
Also read: Shaquille O’Neal has 4 NBA titles, $400 million net worth but has a big ‘Hollywood regret’
Shortly after Shaq’s departure from Orlando, however, the duo did combine elsewhere. The young duo formed a crucial part of the USA Men’s Basketball Team roster for the 1996 Summer Olympics.
Succeeding the “Dream Team” was a lot of pressure. However, great play by Shaq and Penny, along with a star-studded supporting case ensured that the gold medal still went to Team USA.
However, rubbing salt to fresh wounds was a theme at the national team camp, according to Shaq. In Shaq Uncut, the big man reveals how the veterans pulled the leg of the young duo regarding their split.
Who were the culprits rendering low blows regarding the Shaq-Penny pairing breaking up?
Any prank or joke on Shaq inevitably involves Charles Barkley. Along with the Chuckster, another stalwart in NBA reporting joined in on the banter – none other than Reggie Miller.
The veterans picked on the young duo, especially after they combined spectacularly to get the USA past Brazil in the Quarter-Finals. Penny had scored 14 points and Shaq had added an 11-11 double-double in a blowout win against Brazil. Shortly after, Barkley and Miller started taking the p*ss at Penny in particular, according to Shaq.
“Shaq used to be your boy, but not anymore. He left you!”
The taunts clearly didn’t affect the two as team USA “rolled over everybody” in Shaq’s own admission.
How did Team USA fare in the 1996 Olympics? Who made the roster post “Dream Team”?
The 1996 team added another gold medal to Team USA’s collection and picked up where the Dream Team left. The team was so dominant that the scoreline in the Finals was a 95-69 blowout against Yugoslavia.
Argentina, Angola, Lithuania, China, Croatia, Brazil, Argentina, and Yugoslavia were the teams laid to the sword by Team USA. Their biggest win came against China – a 133-70 thrashing! Their average margin of victory was a whopping 31.7 points.
Charles Barkley led the team in points while Scottie Pippen led the team in minutes played. Shaquille O’Neal, Penny Hardaway, Grant Hill, and Gary Payton were the only members in their 20s who made the roster.
The team led by coach Lenny Wilkins was dominated by veterans. John Stockton was the least-used player despite Jerry Sloan’s presence on the coaching staff.
The final roster was: Charles Barkley, Penny Hardaway, Grant Hill, Karl Malone, Reggie Miller, Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O’Neal, Gary Payton, Scottie Pippen, Mitch Richmond, David Robinson, and John Stockton.
Stacked is an understatement for such a roster. A team befitting the last Olympic Games of the 20th century indeed.
