Shaquille O'Neal Threatened To Leave Orlando Magic Before 1994 NBA Draft

NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal became a fan of Penny Hardaway when the two were filming the movie Blue Chips in 1993.

That's when O'Neal, who was playing for the Orlando Magic at the time, fell in love with Hardaway's game. He even requested the Magic draft Hardaway with the No. 1 pick the summer of 1993 instead of Michigan star Chris Webber.

"I call them and I'm like , `I want this Penny Hardaway kid,"' O'Neal said on his Big Podcast. "They said, `We got the No. 1 pick, we're gonna go with C-Webb."'

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Posted by Layup Legends on Sunday, March 2, 2025

That suggestion caused O'Neal to say he was leaving once his rookie contract expired.

"So now, I said, `If you don't get this Penny Hardaway kid, my deal is up in two years, I'm a be looking to do other [stuff]."

The Magic drafted Webber but never told O'Neal their plans until afterward. They chose Webber but traded him to the Golden State Warriors, who drafted Hardaway.

"So they draft C-Webb and I break everything in my house," O'Neal said. "I'm like, `they disrespecting me and think I'm playing. Then I get a phone call from Brian Gabriel. He said, `We about to make a move.' I said, `what?' He said, `Just watch.' Then they brought in Penny. I was like, `Oh (peep)."'

The Hardaway-O'Neal combo led the Magic to the NBA Finals in their second season together.