Inside story to Shaq leaving Orl - CBS Sports

[magic111]

Interesting read to how we botched that whole thing. Some we already know, but some good stuff.

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/the-inside-story-how-the-orlando-magic-let-the-lakers-steal-shaquille-oneal/

[pakishazi]

Thanks for the article. Good follow-up points to the 30 for 30. Can we just call it the Shaq curse now until we win a title?

[LBPTarHeel27]

Thanks for the article. Good follow-up points to the 30 for 30. Can we just call it the Shaq curse now until we win a title?

I still want to blame Nick. He makes those free throws, we win game 1 and the series, IMO. Management then has no problem shelling out cash because it lead to a title. By not being low balled, Shaq happily stays. Less stress on Penny, so he doesn't get hurt. We win title after title. Happily ever after.

[MoMM]

Thanks! Great article, but sad, really sad.

[Nemesis21]

Thanks for the article. Good follow-up points to the 30 for 30. Can we just call it the Shaq curse now until we win a title?

I still want to blame Nick. He makes those free throws, we win game 1 and the series, IMO. Management then has no problem shelling out cash because it lead to a title. By not being low balled, Shaq happily stays. Less stress on Penny, so he doesn't get hurt. We win title after title. Happily ever after.

I have a hard time believing this, well winning the series part. I was 12 yrs old during this NBA finals, so my memory is failing me. But if IIRC, yes Shaq did put up really good numbers in that series, but Hakeem owned that match up and Robert Horry killed us with 3s.

[LBPTarHeel27]

Thanks for the article. Good follow-up points to the 30 for 30. Can we just call it the Shaq curse now until we win a title?

I still want to blame Nick. He makes those free throws, we win game 1 and the series, IMO. Management then has no problem shelling out cash because it lead to a title. By not being low balled, Shaq happily stays. Less stress on Penny, so he doesn't get hurt. We win title after title. Happily ever after.

I have a hard time believing this, well winning the series part. I was 12 yrs old during this NBA finals, so my memory is failing me. But if IIRC, yes Shaq did put up really good numbers in that series, but Hakeem owned that match up and Robert Horry killed us with 3s.

More of an internal gut feeling with no facts to back it. The players have said that game 1 was completely demoralizing and crushed them. They were on top of the world heading in to the series and blew it open early....if those free throws go down and we win, they can all breathe a sigh of relief and get back to what they did best. It wasn't the same team after game 1.

[PennytoShaq]

It was hard to read that article as it nails down the worst experience of my life as a sports fan.

[MoMM]

A big part was Nick losing his confidence, he shot 9-18 in the 1st game, but then 9-32 in the rest of the series.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/1995-nba-finals-rockets-vs-magic.html

[NickAndersonsBack25]

Thanks for the article. Good follow-up points to the 30 for 30. Can we just call it the Shaq curse now until we win a title?

I still want to blame Nick. He makes those free throws, we win game 1 and the series, IMO. Management then has no problem shelling out cash because it lead to a title. By not being low balled, Shaq happily stays. Less stress on Penny, so he doesn't get hurt. We win title after title. Happily ever after.

I have a hard time believing this, well winning the series part. I was 12 yrs old during this NBA finals, so my memory is failing me. But if IIRC, yes Shaq did put up really good numbers in that series, but Hakeem owned that match up and Robert Horry killed us with 3s.

Thank you.

[Magic#1]

I think we should keep in mind that this was told from someone working with an agent. Personally, I always thought Shaq wanted to play in LA, but our management certainly screwed up too. This was when the paradigm was shifting in terms of contracts, and we were behind the times. Now it's an easy decision: You pay your guy whatever you have to. We weren't in that mindset yet and it may have cost us several championships.

[p0peye]

I had no knowledge of inner workings in his team, but Shaq always was and still is a big ego maniac. You could step on his ego even when your trying your best to avoid that, let alone trying to downplay his game and financial worth - especially in comparison to other centers. Such a bad form of communication/negotiation from Magic side, could probably be avoided if we simply stroked his ego.

[Def Swami]

The poor form with handling NBA superstars persisted into the McGrady years as well, IMHO and was partly the reason Mac got frustrated and asked for a trade.

[Howard Mass]

No matter what they say, I believe Shaq was always planning to leave for L.A.

[Furinkazan]

Watch on YouTube

well I dont know if he planned it or not

seems to me it was a classic case of grass is greener on the other side...
He wanted win and wanted it now and it turned out he still had to work hard and w8 few years to get it even in LA'
....seems he understand now he would have same or better effects had he stayed
or maybe its bs and he was saying all the right stuff

[SHAQ32]

The good old days

Whether or not people like Shaq, he was apart of the good times during the early days of this city/franchise.

[BadMofoPimp]

I remember seeing Shaq with assorted Magic players downtown at clubs all the time with all the women that would flock to them. You just knew they were in the club because all of a sudden groups of hot women dressed to the max would start filing in and heading in a certain direction. I still remember when I was on the dance floor and Shaq stepped on my foot as he looked down, smiled and said,"Sorry" with a sheepish grin on his face. I can't hate that guy.

[magicman112]

It's one of those lightning in a bottle things that happens in sports. Our management was just really inexperienced and naive and they left a window of opportunity and Jerry West seized the moment.