The Orlando Magic seized immense pride and enjoyed the most out of their second-round triumph over Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls , which only intensified as they eventually reached the 1995 Finals as the best in the East. Looking back, Shaquille O'Neal admitted that the overconfidence in this overwhelming achievement instantly backfired against him, leading to their downfall in winning it all.
Poor habits led to a painful Finals finish
In the latest episode of The Big Podcast, featuring his former Magic co-star Penny Hardaway, O'Neal confessed that he was a massive reason Orlando fell short in 1995. His undisciplined off-court activities led to the championship series loss against the Houston Rockets.
"What it taught me, though, was to never celebrate until the job is done," Shaq said . "Because after we beat [Jordan and the Bulls], we were happy the Pacers knocked us around, and we eventually got them back. But now that we got to the Finals, I don't know what Penny and his crew was doing. But me personally, I was doing way too much. We had like seven or eight days off and coach Hill gave us three days. The statue of limitations is up, so I go and snitched on myself. Me and Dennis Scott jumped in the flight, we was at the Magic City in Atlanta, we was chilling all night, partying," Shaquille explained.
"Then we tried to come back there on Day 4 for the practice. I had a terrible practice, but it didn't matter [to me]. 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 regular retro by staying all night, and let the DJ play the music," O'Neal added.
"So the next game, I was tired. We played well, we got up to a good start, and then something happened at the end. But once we lost that momentum, it was hard to get back. I blame myself for us not getting that first championship," Shaq concluded.
'The Diesel's' admittance couldn't be more of an eye-opener, considering how close they were to clinching their first championship. The Magic saw a season of revelation that year by winning 57 games as a No. 2 seed and ultimately defied the odds as a young group by conquering their path to the NBA Finals. But in the end, they blew their golden opportunity to win it all as the Rockets obliterated them in a four-game sweep to secure their second-straight title.
Related: Kobe Bryant's former bodyguard compared working for him and other NBA stars: "Kobe was a sit outside-the-gate person"
Outworked by the Dream
Despite his immaturity before the Finals, it's still amazing how Shaq willed himself and played his best to lead the Magic. The big man averaged 28.0 points, 12.5 boards, 6.3 assists, and 2.5 blocks. However, it wasn't enough as Hakeem Olajuwon dominated him in their epic center battle, posting 32.8 points, 11.5 rebounds, 5.5 dimes, 2.0 steals, and 2.0 rejections per contest for the Rockets.
"Just him being one of the best ever. I realized that in order to be the best, you have to beat the best. That year, we faced off, and the best won out. It just made me a much stronger competitor," Shaquille reflected on his loss against the 'Dream.'
The disappointing Finals defeat against Houston indeed served as a humbling lesson for O'Neal, which he carried on his way to becoming a four-time champion and one of the game's greatest big men ever.
Related: "It would have been called Shaqland, not Disney World" - Kenny Smith on what if the Magic won the 1995 title
Most Popular
Comments / 0