Penny Hardaway reveals the worst thing about Shaq leaving was not saying he was going to the Lakers: 'It killed me, bro'

Shaquille O'Neal's towering presence made him impossible to miss, but in the summer of 1996, he made a move that caught Penny Hardaway completely off guard: leaving Orlando for Los Angeles. Hardaway recalled the awkward moment he discovered Shaq was heading to the Lakers and shared the sting of being blindsided by the decision.

"Worst day of my life right there. I ain't gonna lie. I knew the magnitude of that, bro," said the Memphis Tigers coach on The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis. "Here's the thing, though, that was crazy. Shaq never told me he was leaving. You know how you get into this, all the international media was there in our interview with the entire team. We're on a panel, and they're asking each one of us questions."

"One guy goes: 'How does it feel not to have Shaq as a teammate?' Grant Hill right here, Gary Payton… I'm like, 'Uhm, if that happens, it will be devastating.' That's exactly what I said. They said, 'No. He's about to sign a multiyear deal with the Lakers.' I was like, 'If that's the case, man, I wish him well.' Shaq came into my room that day or the next day, 'I'm sorry, bro. I should've told you.' Bro, I was done. It killed me," added the four-time NBA All-Star.

The timing

The podcast panel made it sound like Penny learned it through a press conference after winning the gold medal, but it couldn't have happened. The Big Diesel signed a $120 million deal with the Lakers on July 18, 1996, which means that was before the Atlanta Olympics basketball tournament. The games started on July 20 and ended on August 4 with the United States winning the gold over Brazil.

Either way, the crushing news would have made things complicated. O'Neal and Hardaway were key members of the Dream Team III, and the development may cause a rift between the two superstars.

Fortunately, none of that happened. Penny averaged 9.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.4 steals. The dimes per game are second behind Gary Payton, while the steals are fourth in the team behind Grant Hill (3.0), John Stockton (1.6), and Scottie Pippen (1.6). Meanwhile, O'Neal averaged 9.3 points and 5.3 rebounds.

Why Shaq left Orlando

O'Neal leaving the East signified a power shift that proved fruitful for the Lakers years down the line. However, it would seem like Shaq was not at the top of the Magic's priority list that year. They had O'Neal's Bird rights, which means they can offer more than any other team, $24.3 million more, to be exact. They never did and criticized Shaq's defense and rebounding to gain more negotiation leverage.

As it turned out, the Magic lowballed the 1992 first-overall pick. Orlando dangled a four-year, 54 million-dollar deal, way below the contracts Juwan Howard and Alonzo Mourning secured. When Jerry Buss and Jerry West came calling, ready to shell out nine figures for the big man, there was no turning back.

Ultimately, the Magic's loss was the Laker's gain. West continued to build the team around the "Big Fella," made the needed roster and coaching changes, and won three championships from 2000 to 2002. Around this time, Hardaway's career was on a downward spiral, no thanks to a pile of knee surgeries that robbed him of strength and explosiveness.

No one can say how things might have unfolded if O'Neal and Hardaway had stayed together in Central Florida. It was likely a difficult choice for Shaq and a painful blow for Penny, but some decisions must be made, regardless of who gets left behind.