Greatness is not always given, it is earned. No one understands that better than Shaquille O’Neal. The Diesel entered the league with more hype than almost anyone in the early ’90s. He was the No. 1 pick, built like a superhero, and expected to flip the NBA upside down immediately. While the numbers were there from day one, the wins did not come as quickly as many anticipated.
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Shaq’s Orlando Magic were competitive but not dominant, and he had to endure the growing pains that came with carrying a young roster. Critics even questioned whether a big man could truly lead a team to the promised land. The Magic lost, and it drove Shaq crazy.
That mental grind took its toll. Shaq admitted on the latest episode of The Big Podcast that the jealousy he felt during that period has lingered over the years. In fact, he revealed to his guest, NFL legend Tom Brady, that those jealous instincts still surface at times and can cast a shadow over his life.
“I always tell people that there is two types of jealousy. Professional jealousy and envious jealousy. I’m jealous of you. You’re the GOAT. I would love to have that title. So I would see things that I didn’t have and it would drive me crazy,” admitted the Hall of Famer.
While that mindset reflects Shaq’s competitive nature, it also exposes a glaring weakness. It is difficult to tell a man who has accomplished everything to be grateful, but he often seems more focused on his failures than his accolades.
That may also explain why he remains so prominent as a celebrity and analyst today. His word carries weight because he still wants to be the best. Moments later, he shared the mindset he once had about eventually taking the throne from the league’s established giants, including Michael Jordan.
“When I first came into the league, everybody was on Magic and Jordan, and Barkley. I’m like, ‘F*** them. It’s going to be my league one day.’ It just motivated me more,” he said.
“Coming from where people want you to fail and they think you’re going to fail all the time. I can’t fail. I can’t make you right. I won in Little League. I won in high school. Didn’t win in college. Wasn’t winning in the NBA, and it was just driving me crazy. And seeing everybody else win and get the glory, I wanted the glory, but I figured ways out on how to get that glory.”
It may sound crazy, but Shaq’s early seasons in Orlando were both a blessing and a curse. He instantly legitimized the Magic as a legitimate powerhouse and helped create a culture alongside Penny Hardaway that is still felt in that part of Florida today. But his desire to win ultimately took him to Los Angeles, and that is where the story truly began to take shape.
Those early setbacks did not break Shaq. They sharpened the edge that carried him through the rest of his career. The frustration, jealousy, and nonstop urge to prove people wrong became the fuel behind his dominance.
Without those moments of doubt and impatience, the ruthless version of Shaq that took over the league may never have existed. Sometimes greatness is not instant. It is forged through pressure, obsession, and a refusal to let anyone else write your story.
