Shaq regrets leaving the Magic

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

ORLANDO, Fla. -- If he had it to do over again, Shaquille O'Neal says he wishes he would have been more patient before leaving the Orlando Magic.

O'Neal said Friday after an "unexpected" induction into the Magic's Hall of Fame that being young and wanting to win right away prompted him to leave for the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency in 1996.

The perennial All-Star and four-time NBA champion said the choice was a "business decision," but believes the Magic team that reached the NBA Finals in 1995 could have won a title if it would have stayed together longer.

O'Neal became the third inductee into the Magic's Hall, joining co-founder Pat Williams and Nick Anderson, the Magic's first draft pick.


What if, after spending the first four seasons of his NBA career with the Orlando Magic, he hadn't signed a free-agent deal to join the Los Angeles Lakers in 1996?

"Knowing what I know now, I would've stayed," O'Neal said. "I would've stayed and fulfilled my seven years and then looked at it differently after my seventh year."

"That's why I kind of regret it, because we had a young, fabulous team," O'Neal said. "We really did. And it's a shame that we got torn apart. But I think about that all the time. I try not to live my life now on 'ifs' or 'would've, should've,' but do I regret leaving here in '96, yes I do."
http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/12571959/shaquille-oneal-inducted-orlando-magic-hall-fame

Any truth to what he's saying, or is he just being political? (Orlando just inducted him into their HOF)

I'm not one to mince words, but I kinda feel this is a slap in the face to LA. They supplemented this guy with heaps of talent plus (arguably) the second greatest SG and GOAT coach. Interesting stuff nevertheless.

[JohnFreeman]

He has said millions of times LA was the best place he played.

[Real14]

Shaq is lying his ass off.:coleman:

[game3524]

Shaq is just trying to be nice. Going to LA was the best thing for his career, on/off the court.

[TheMarkMadsen]

only because in hindsight Penny got hurt and Shaq wouldn't have had to answer questions about who's the bigger star anymore

[SpecialQue]

Absolutely a political answer. His legacy and case for being a top 10 player is based on his LA career. No way he repeats this success without Phil and Kobe.

[BlackVVaves]

Lmaoo

If you think Shaq regrets leaving Orlando to play with the quite arguably the GOAT coach Phil Jackson and another Top 10 GOAT in Kobe Bryant...in Los Angeles. In front of film stars and celebrities every night, seamlessly aligning with his branding and business goals -- em route to 3 champi....

You know what. Nvm. If you're buying what Shaq's selling, I've got a pretty dope sand castle for sale.

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

Lmaoo

If you think Shaq regrets leaving Orlando to play with the quite arguably the GOAT coach Phil Jackson and another Top 10 GOAT in Kobe Bryant...in Los Angeles. In front of film stars and celebrities every night, seamlessly aligning with his branding and business goals -- em route to 3 champi....

You know what. Nvm. If you're buying what Shaq's selling, I've got a pretty dope sand castle for sale.
Yeah, Shaq is as big of an attention whore there is. No way he "regrets" his decision.

BTW, if you're directing that post to me, I was only posing the question to others. Not a big fan of his comments regardless of his intentions though.

[JohnFreeman]

If Penny stayed healthy with Shaq...mmmm

[BigBoss]

Yeah ok

[MJistheGOAT]

Politically correct but a big *ss lie.

OTOH, looking the 90s Magic in perspective, with Penny healthy they might have reach finals from 99 on and probably get some rings (after getting raped by Bulls 97 and 98)

Kobe

[SpecialQue]

If Penny stayed healthy with Shaq...mmmm

With how weak the east got, I'm sure he'd have multiple trips to the finals. He might even win a championship, but no way does he repeat.

[SouBeachTalents]

With how weak the east got, I'm sure he'd have multiple trips to the finals. He might even win a championship, but no way does he repeat.

It'd be very interesting to see how things would have unfolded. Who do you think beats the Magic with Shaq and healthy Penny in the early 2000's? Blazers, Spurs, Kings?

[SpecialQue]

[QUOTE=MJistheGOAT]Politically correct but a big *ss lie.

OTOH, looking the 90s Magic in perspective, with Penny healthy they might have reach finals from 99 on and probably get some rings (after getting raped by Bulls 97 and 98)

Kobe

[game3524]

[QUOTE=MJistheGOAT]Politically correct but a big *ss lie.

OTOH, looking the 90s Magic in perspective, with Penny healthy they might have reach finals from 99 on and probably get some rings (after getting raped by Bulls 97 and 98)

[B]Kobe

[MJistheGOAT]

No rings, but he might have better individual accolades.(MVPs, scoring titles etc.)

And big part of ISH posters consider rings (team accolade) >>> individual accolades for legacy discussions :pimp:

[BlackVVaves]

Yeah, Shaq is as big of an attention whore there is. No way he "regrets" his decision.

BTW, if you're directing that post to me, I was only posing the question to others. Not a big fan of his comments regardless of his intentions though.

Not at all, it was purely rhetorical. And yeah, I definitely agree. Shaq's just playing to the crowd, as usual.

[game3524]

And big part of ISH posters consider rings (team accolade) >>> individual accolades for legacy discussions :pimp:

True, but it wouldn't have hurt Kobe much at all. Take away the three rings and add an MVP and a couple more scoring titles and he is still likely ranked in the top ten.

[coin24]

Shaq just trolling the Magic, standard Laker:lol

[Siemens]

Shaq is just trying to be nice. Going to LA was the best thing for his career, on/off the court.

Well, maybe not completely. He said he wished he stayed 7 years. I think he is thinking in his head that he could have hypothetically won a championship in the late 90s and then left to the Lakers to win 3 championships with them.

[Dragonyeuw]

Shaq left a 'surer' situation as far as winning titles in Orlando. Penny was seen as the next great guard in 96, certainly more of a sure thing at that point then playing with Eddie Jones, Van Exel, Campbell and an unproven rookie in Kobe. Orlando, in addition to Penny coming into his prime, had near allstar caliber talent in Nick Anderson, Horace Grant, a dead eye shooter in Dennis Scott, if the decision was strictly based on the more championship ready and proven roster Orlando AT THAT POINT was the better choice.

Obviously now we have the benefit of knowing how Penny and Kobe's career turned out but back in 1996, it was easy to project a healthy Magic squad with the key players on the upward curve of their career taking over the East once the Bulls aged themselves out of championship contention.

[kurple]

I honestly think that if Shaq wasn't there and Kobe was left to run wild, he'd have had those ridiculous scoring seasons earlier in his career, and would have wised up about teamwork a hell of a lot sooner. Does he make it past those Spurs teams without a Shaq? Probably not, but without knowing who the Lakers would have gotten, there's no way of knowing.
get the **** out of here.. probably not?

lakers probably would struggle to make the playoffs

[wakencdukest]

Does he regret those three rings? He got to the finals when Jordan was retired. there's no way Orlando would have been able to compete with the Bulls during their second three-peat, at least not with the supporting cast that Shaq had. It's questionable if Orlando could have ever put a decent supporting cast around him after Penny's demise. Nick Anderson, Dennis Scott, Skiles, etc. would not have got it done.

[The Iron Sheik]

No rings, but he might have better individual accolades.(MVPs, scoring titles etc.)

what if kobe went somewhere else or the lakers got someone else? like if somehow kobe and kg ended up together you think they couldn't have won titles?

i'm just saying that i have a hard time believing that one of the 10 best players ever (i'm talking skillset, not career) couldn't win a championship...ever.

[JohnnySic]

I bet Shaq regrets making the Magic trade Webber for Penny. That cost him rings, almost certainly.

[ImKobe]

yeah...I'm sure he regretted playing in Los Angeles, winning 3 straight titles with Kobe, rapping with Biggie, making movies..

He's just being nice to his Orlando fans, that is all.

[josh99]

My interpretation was that he regrets leaving the Magic but doesn't regret playing in LA. Though even that is mostly likely PR rubbish considering how many insults he has thrown Orlando's direction.

[Rooster]

I honestly think that if Shaq wasn't there and Kobe was left to run wild, he'd have had those ridiculous scoring seasons earlier in his career, and would have wised up about teamwork a hell of a lot sooner. Does he make it past those Spurs teams without a Shaq? Probably not, but without knowing who the Lakers would have gotten, there's no way of knowing.

Lakers were already a good team without both of them Shaq and Kobe. Vlade was an impact player and Campbell was a pretty good inside option whenever he's motivated, Eddie Jones was promising and Van Exel can kill teams by himself and Ceballos just had an all Star season so I'm still thinking Kobe will have to wait his turn and probably take over in the 2000s . West will most likely trade Eddie Jones to bolster the bench and probably win a couple of rings with that core.