Even though Shaquille O’Neal‘s acting career was subpar at best, he got something valuable out of it. While shooting for the movie, Blue Chips, he managed to earn a hooping partner in Penny Hardaway. During a recent appearance on The Draymond Green Show, the big fella talked about how his acting job for the movie led to him forcing the Orlando Magic to draft Penny in 1993.
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Shaq said that while he was out to shoot for his second movie, the management had made all the arrangements for a training facility so he could stay in shape. One day, during his training session, his co-star, Penny Hardaway, showed up to the court.
“This motherf***er is diming me up like crazy. 6’7″, motherf***er’s smooth and…I’m spinning, he’s throwing the lobs,” Shaq recalled. Impressed by the skills of his co-star, Shaq decided to inquire about him.
Once he got to know about him, Shaq immediately knew that he wanted him in the Magic team. They had the first pick in the 1993 draft but planned on bringing Chris Webber in. However, Shaq was adamant about getting Hardaway on his team and he conveyed his wish to the management. He waited with bated breath to see if the Magic would follow through on his request.
To his surprise, they drafted Webber as the first overall pick. Shaq said, “I’m f**kin’ picking up lamps, I’m just tearing the motherf***ing house apart, because I’m like these motherf***ers didn’t listen to me, they’re testing me.”
Right before Shaq was about to go on Hulk Mode in his house, he was informed that the Magic had made a deal with the Warriors to trade Webber for Hardaway. Despite getting his wish fulfilled, Shaq decided to leave Orlando in 1996 and go to LA.
Shaquille O’Neal explains his decision to leave Orlando
One would assume that after the Orlando franchise gave Shaq the teammate he wanted, he would stay there to build a championship-worthy team. However, Shaq had different plans. When asked if he regrets his decision to leave Magic without making history with Hardaway, he said,
“No. And the reason is, I am programmed to once you make a decision, you live with that decision, right or wrong.”
Shaq said that he understood more money and better opportunities were waiting for him in LA, which is why he went ahead with it.
As tough as it was on him, it turned out to be the best decision of Shaq’s career because he went on to form arguably the greatest duo in basketball history with the late, great Kobe Bryant. The duo three-peated the NBA Championship and etched their name in the history books.
