Shaquille O'Neal Explains His Breakup With Penny Hardaway In Orlando

Shandel Richardson | Jul 22, 2024

Feb 13, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Shaquille O'Neal during a post game ceremony where the Orlando Magic retired his #32 jersey at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports / Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway were one of the best duos in NBA history when they teamed for the Orlando Magic in the early 1990s.

They made the Finals in 1995 before losing to the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls in the `96 Eastern Conference finals. And then O'Neal and Hardaway had an abrupt breakup that summer.

O'Neal recently explained their split during an appearance on his Big Podcast. He was joined on the episode by Hardaway.

O'Neal said there was never a rift between the two.

"The more that I think about it, when I left they tried to make it a me and him thing," O'Neal said. "It's more about an ego thing."

O'Neal left that summer to join the Los Angeles Lakers. Hardaway stayed behind, but the Magic were never the same. From there, their paths went the opposite direction. O'Neal won three straight championships while playing with Kobe Bryant. O'Neal later won another title with the Miami Heat to complete a Hall of Fame career.

Hardaway's career took a turn for the worse because of multiple knee injuries. He remains one of the biggest "what-ifs" in league history.

But O'Neal had nothing but kind words for Hardaway.

"Not only could we coincide, we did coincide," O'Neal said. "But when they start trying, `Oh, Penny got his money. You didn't get enough money.' It got to me. When you're 24, you don't think about it but the older I got, I thought about it."

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Back In The Day Hoops. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

Follow our updates and coverage on Facebook

X: @BackInTheDayNBA