Shaquille O’Neal had one hell of an NBA career. A 15-time All-Star, three-time Finals MVP, and four NBA championships to his name, Shaq had it all under his belt. Regarded as the most dominant player in NBA history by many basketball pundits, did you know that The Big Aristotle could’ve added one more ring to his collection?
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The Los Angeles Lakers legend blew up after he left the Orlando Magic. However, many fans are unaware of the fact that Shaq could’ve won his first ring during his time in Orlando, had it not been for his excessive partying. Here is what he said on an episode of The Big Podcast with Shaq.
“Me personally, I was doing way too much… Coach Hill gave us three days off… Me and D-Scott jumped onto a flight, we was at Magic City, we was in Atlanta. We was chilling all night, partying. Then we tried to come back there on day 4 for the practice. Had a terrible practice, it didn’t matter.”
The Hobo Master and the Orlando Magic had just come out victorious in a hard-fought battle with the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals. And as a result, Shaq celebrated a little too hard and a little too early.
“I had an appearance at Universal Studios. I had a pre-parade at Disney. Like I was working all the way until the night before the game and then I try to go through my retro, stay up all night—DJ, let the music. So, the next game I was tired… But once we lost that momentum, it was hard to get back.”
He mentioned how they had a good Game 1 against the Houston Rockets in the 1995 NBA Finals, losing 118-120. But once Shaq and the rest of the squad lost momentum, the Rockets went on to sweep the Magic to win their first NBA championship in franchise history.
Diesel learned a lesson in his disappointment to never celebrate before the job was done. And while beating Reggie Miller and the Pacers was a tough feat to accomplish, had Shaq kept his poise and competitive edge alive, The Big Aristotle could’ve been a five-time NBA champion instead of just having four rings to his name.
Shaquille O’Neal on his matchup with Hakeem Olajuwon
The NBA Finals between the Orlando Magic and the Houston Rockets gave the world a glimpse of a prime Hakeem Olajuwon at the top of his game. While Shaquille O’Neal was still developing at that stage, he was still considered one of the premier big men in the league.
The 52-year-old had made a name for himself as the most feared center in the NBA. With his colossal size, players would back down from facing Shaq in the paint. But according to Superman himself, there was one player he just wasn’t able to figure out.
“At the 5 spot, Imma go Hakeem Olajuwon. I know I was coming in as an emerging or already emerged. He’s the only guy I couldn’t figure out. He’s the only guy I couldn’t intimidate.”
As per StatMuse, Shaq averaged 28.0 points, 12.5 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 2.5 blocks per game in the 1995 NBA Finals. And yet, he was outworked and outplayed by The Dream. Hakeem Olajuwon averaged 32.8 points, 11.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 2.0 steals, and 2.0 blocks in the very same Finals series.
So now, it does make one wonder that had Shaq remained focused, could he have brought the Orlando Magic their first NBA title in franchise history? Well, that is a question that may not have a definitive answer, ever. But it sure is something to ponder upon when looking back at his career.
