Even as an LSU Tiger, it was a known fact that Shaquille O’Neal would be the unanimous #1 pick for the 1992 Draft. Why wouldn’t he? The man stood a towering 7-foot-1-inch tall and weighed nearly 330 pounds. He dominated every other big man in the college basketball circuit.
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Much like everyone expected, the Orlando Magic acquired the freakish youngster with their #1 pick. It didn’t take much time for Shaq to get comfortable in the league. As soon as the 20-year-old set foot on the hardwood, he was bullying grown men on a nightly basis.
O’Neal only improved after averaging a staggering 23.4/13.9 and 3.5 blocks during his rookie season. Throughout his stint as a Magic, the “Diesel” put up some of the most ballistic numbers – 27.2 points, 12.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 3 blocks per game.
As we all know, the “Big Aristotle” decided to part ways with the Florida-based franchise in the 1996 offseason. While money was, obviously, a massive reason for the move, it was certainly not the only factor that drove him away from Orlando.
Shaquille O’Neal couldn’t deal with Orlando’s media bashing ex-wife Arnetta Yardbourgh
It is no surprise that the Los Angeles Lakers offered Shaq an extremely lucrative deal as a free agent. Of course, a $120 million, 7-year contract would motivate anyone to switch sides. However, Jerry Buss’ mouthwatering deal was only a part of the reason why O’Neal parted ways with the Magic.
At one point in 1996, Shaq’s then-girlfriend – Arnetta Yardbourgh – was pregnant. Instead of leaving the couple, Orlando media went on to bash them. The media would constantly question Arnetta’s loyalty and would even call her a “gold digger”.
In a Sports Illustrated report, the basketball icon revealed the type of filth the media would state:
“They said, ‘So, where’d he meet her, in a hotel? How much money does she want?’ They just assumed it was some dirty thing. Now people want to know why she isn’t living with me. She’s going to school – a master’s program, in Houston. What am I gonna do, say, ‘No, you need to move here right now?’”
While we don’t really know what Shaq’s decision would be, an Orlando fan would just wish that their superstar never had to go through what he did.
“This is where I started, where I should’ve stayed”: Shaq
Of course, the decision turned out to be a good one for the youngster. He would eventually end up winning 4 championships, 3 Finals MVPs, and an MVP, among a long list of other achievements.
However, in a SLAM article, Shaq revealed that he “regretted” his parting ways with the Magic.
“I regret it sometimes. This is where I started, where I should’ve stayed. I actually wish that they [had] made it a law that whoever drafted you, you’ve got to stay there your whole career. No trades. No nothing. No free agency. No anything like that.”
With the All-Star duo of Penny Hardaway and Shaq, the Magic came close to winning a title. You never know, had O’Neal never left Orlando, the franchise might’ve had an NBA championship in its trophy cabinet by now.
Also Read: Shaquille O’Neal Once Used the Same Strategy He Employed on Kobe Bryant to Make Dwyane Wade Great
