'Shaq was still young. 'Dream' was established and in his prime' - Penny Hardaway breaks down why did Hakeem dominate Shaq in 1995 NBA Finals

The 1995 NBA Finals featured a marquee match-up between two of the NBA’s best centers: the Orlando Magic’s intrepid man in the middle, Shaquille O’Neal, and the Houston Rockets’ sage veteran, Hakeem Olajuwon. The eyes of the basketball world tuned in to see if Shaq, with all his strength and might, would be able to dent the confidence of the silky-smooth 7-footer from Lagos, Nigeria.

It was an intriguing match-up, to say the least, but the Magic’s other superstar, Penny Hardaway, believed that his big man was behind the eight-ball during that series. For all of Shaq’s brute force and dominance, he still lacked the experience that Olajuwon had gained from his years in the league.

Hakeem was a four dressed as a five

According to Penny, Hakeem may have been listed as a five, but his style of play was better suited for a four-man. The former Houston Cougar was fleet of foot, had a soft touch from the outside, and had impeccable footwork that resembled that of a ballet dancer. Shaq, on the other hand, relied heavily on his size and strength to overpower opponents and had yet to develop a polished offensive game.

“Shaq was a true big man. He was a center. He was a 5. "Dream" was really a 4 playing the 5, and he was a tough matchup. He was smart, highly skilled, and Shaq wasn’t really into his own zone at that time, meaning he wasn’t the Shaq who went to L.A.,” Penny remarked, referring to the version of the “Diesel” who won the 2000 league MVP and led the Los Angeles Lakers to three straight titles.

“That Shaq was dominant. If he would have met "Dream’ at that time, then "Dream" would have had problems, but Shaq was still young. "Dream" was established and in his prime,” Hardaway surmised.

The proof was in the pudding: Hakeem was absolutely remarkable in the Rockets’ 4-0 sweep of the Magic, averaging 32.8 points, 11.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 2.0 steals, and 2.0 blocks per game. Shaq held his own, as he averaged 28.0 points, 12.5 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 2.5 blocks per game. However, he had trouble protecting the ball, turning the ball over five times per game.

Hard lessons learned

As painful as the NBA Finals was for Shaq, he learned plenty of lessons that would help carry him to championship success later in his career. The former LSU star admitted that he came to the 1995 NBA Finals overly confident in himself and his abilities. But "The Diesel" quickly realized that the Finals were a whole new level of competition and that the “Dream” was more like a nightmare to contend with.

“You had a guy that was fundamentally sound against a guy that was young, flamboyant, and talented. He taught me everything I needed to know about being a winner,” O’Neal emphasized.

O’Neal and the Magic had another deep postseason run in the 1996 NBA Playoffs, but they were again swept, this time by Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. After that, Shaq escaped to the L.A. where he would win three titles with Kobe Bryant.