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Shaquille O'Neal Blames Himself for Magic's 1995 Finals Loss, Reveals Real Reason
Shaquille O'Neal admits he blames himself for the Magic's 1995 Finals loss, opening up about the real reason behind their defeat. His candid revelation sheds new light on the historic series. Read more.
The Orlando Magic drafted Shaquille O’Neal as the first pick in 1992, marking the start of a prominent basketball career. His rookie season earned him impressive averages of 23.4 points, 13.9 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks per game and the title of Rookie of the Year in 1993. He was the first rookie to receive a vote as an All-Star starter since Michael Jordan in 1985.
Shaquille O’Neal reflects on the Magic’s 1995 Finals loss
Many fans may be surprised to learn that Shaq had the chance to win his first ring during his tenure with the Magic. On an episode of The Big Podcast with Shaq, O'Neal confessed his excessive partying as the key reason for falling short of the championship.
“Me personally, I was doing way too much… Coach Hill gave us three days off… Me and D-Scott jumped onto a flight, we were at Magic City, we were in Atlanta. We were 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.”
"I made an appearance at Universal Studios and even participated in a pre-parade at Disney. My schedules ran up until the very night before the game, then I tried to continue my, staying up all night—DJing, music blaring. Consequently, I was drained in our next game... When we lost that momentum, reclaiming it became an uphill battle," Sha explained.
He recalled how they performed well in Game 1 against the Houston Rockets in the 1995 NBA Finals, albeit losing 118-120. But after Shaq and his team lost their momentum, the Rockets seized the opportunity, sweeping the Magic and clinifying their first NBA championship in franchise history.
Shaquille O'Neal's first NBA Championship with Lakers
Shaquille O'Neal's signing with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1996 for a seven-year contract worth $121 million marked the beginning of his time with the team. His tenure, which lasted from the 1996-97 season through the 2003-04 season, saw him winning three straight NBA championships in 2000, 2001, and 2002.
The 1999-2000 season witnessed 27-year-old O'Neal winning his first NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers. That year, he also received the NBA Finals MVP honor, boasting impressive statistics - averaging 38 points, 16.7 rebounds, 2.7 blocks, and 2.3 assists per game in the championship series.
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