Shaquille O’Neal admitted to a vital mistake he made within the 1995 NBA Finals, which he thinks price the Orlando Magic a championship.
He and Penny Hardaway led the Magic to their first-ever finals look after beating Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls.
The famous person duo then got here up in opposition to Hakeem Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets within the championship spherical, however they have been swept 4-0.
O’Neal was ashamed of his efficiency in opposition to the Rockets and promised himself by no means to make the identical mistake once more.
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O’Neal was understandably thrilled to make the Finals in simply his third season within the NBA, however he bought caught up within the second quite than staying centered on the problem forward.
“It was my fault we misplaced. As a result of as a pacesetter, I didn’t lead. After we beat the Bulls, I let up,” O’Neal stated in taking full duty for the Magic’s loss.
“We beat Mike. We straight. We performed Houston earlier than. What did they offer us? Even sequence. Hakeem goes to get 30. I’m going to get 27.’
“And, off the document, we had eight days off. Dennis Scott and I have been doing issues we weren’t presupposed to be doing. They usually had just a little parade and all that. So, it taught me to by no means have a good time too early.
“We have been simply celebrating, after which once we get within the sport, we’re hanging with them… I can’t blame it on Nick, however he misses the free throws. It’s my fault as a result of I didn’t get the blokes prepared, however Nick misses the free throws, and we go down 0-2.
“Second sport, we go down 0-2. We go to Houston, and we all know we don’t have a shot, so we get swept. It taught me by no means to have a good time too early, and it additionally put that starvation in me.
“Okay, if I ever get again to the finals, I’ve bought to dominate. 40s. Neglect that 28 and 10 I’ve been speaking about. That’s why once I made it again to the finals, I used to be attempting to place up large numbers. If we don’t win, it’s going to be my fault, and as a pacesetter, I settle for that.”
Sadly for the Magic, O’Neal’s learnings didn’t pay dividends with them. As an alternative, he put issues proper years later with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Shaq gained three consecutive championships alongside Kobe Bryant between 2000 and 2002 and deservedly gained Finals MVP each time.
Shaquille O’Neal’s NBA Finals statistics showcase a big development in his sport from his Magic days to his time with the LA Lakers.
Whereas he nonetheless averaged a formidable 28 factors, 12.5 rebounds, and 6 assists in his first finals, he actually stepped up 5 years later.
| Season | Workforce | Opponent | Factors | Rebounds | Assists | Blocks |
| 1994-95 | Magic | Rockets | 28.0 | 12.5 | 6.3 | 2.5 |
| 1999-00 | Lakers | Pacers | 38.0 | 16.7 | 2.3 | 2.7 |
| 2000-01 | Lakers | 76ers | 33.0 | 15.8 | 4.8. | 3.4 |
| 2001-02 | Lakers | Nets | 36.3 | 12.3 | 3.8 | 2.8 |
| 2003-04 | Lakers | Pistons | 26.6 | 10.8 | 1.6 | 0.6 |
| 2005-06 | Warmth | Mavericks | 13.7 | 10.2 | 2.8 | 0/8 |
O’Neal put up an astounding 38 factors and 17 rebounds per sport within the LA Lakers’ sequence win in opposition to the Indiana Pacers.
He additionally managed related stat strains within the subsequent two finals, as he clearly fulfilled his promise of taking them extra significantly.
