Former 4x NBA All-Star Reflects on His Time With the Magic
In Hardaway's rookie season, the Magic made its first playoff appearance. The team was led by O'Neal, who finished fourth in MVP voting in his sophomore year. In the 1994-95 campaign, Orlando surprised everyone when they made it to the NBA Finals.
Advertisement
Although the Magic was eventually swept by the Houston Rockets, the young team showed promise. Unfortunately for Orlando, O'Neal opted to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1996 and left his co-star.
Team Westbrook legend Penny Hardaway and Team Westbrook forward Tamika Catchings of the Indiana Fever high-five during the 2015 NBA All-Star Shooting Stars competition at Barclays Center.Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Nearly 30 years since the O'Neal-Hardaway breakup, people still reminisce about what the duo did in just four years. In the recent episode of "The OGs Show," the former four-time All-Star had a moment of reflection about his time with Shaq.
'We had to be one of the teams that had the best roster that didn't win a championship, honestly,' Hardaway said. 'That team was special. The early years was just like rock stars.'
Advertisement
'That was a crew, man. They put that team together. It was unfortunate that we didn't stay together. The big fella got wooed by the Lakers.'
In the end, the current Memphis Tigers head coach said he understood why O'Neal couldn't reject the glitz and glamour of L.A. The former LSU standout went on to win three straight titles with the late Kobe Bryant as a member of the Lakers.
Hardaway, though, stayed in Orlando until 1999. Injuries derailed his career as he played for the Phoenix Suns and the New York Knicks before retiring in 2006. In the 2007-08 season, the 6-foot-7 guard came out of retirement and joined the Miami Heat to reunite with Shaq.
Related: Magic Star Paolo Banchero Sends Clear Message on Future
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
How Kevin Durant ‘accidentally' won second Finals MVP with Warriors over Stephen Curry
The post How Kevin Durant 'accidentally' won second Finals MVP with Warriors over Stephen Curry appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Golden State Warriors were a cheat code when Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry played together from 2016 to 2019. Their partnership led to back-to-back titles, with Durant being named Finals MVP twice. When Curry led the Warriors to the title in 2022 and won his first-ever Finals MVP, he finally crossed out the only thing missing from his game-changing legacy. Prior to the feat, fans were chastising him for not having the said award despite having multiple rings, claiming that it's the true hallmark of greatness. While Curry had a strong run in the 2017 NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Durant shone brighter, highlighted by his dagger three-pointer in Game 3, which practically sealed the Finals MVP for him. Former Warriors guard Quinn Cook, however, made an eye-opening revelation about Durant, which showed how much he valued Curry as a teammate after their first championship together. 'Kevin wanted Steph to get that Finals MVP the next year so bad. That's all he was talking about all season, like, 'I can't wait until Steph gets his Finals MVP so he can shut up everybody, the naysayers,'' claimed Cook, as quoted in a report from NBC Sports Bay Area's Tristi Rodriguez. 'I think in Game 2 (of the 2018 NBA Finals), that's when Steph broke the record, he had nine threes. Then Game 3, we were struggling, Steph was struggling, and Kevin just accidentally walked into 40 (points). Then you just look at the numbers statistically, I think Kevin had a triple-double in Game 4. He wasn't even as aggressive. That's just how good he is. He just accidentally got the Finals MVP back-to-back.' It's now pointless to compare the numbers of Durant and Curry during that run. After all, in the end, it's the crown that mattered for them. The two future Hall of Famers have maintained a close relationship over the years despite parting ways. Their mutual respect is much bigger than a shiny trophy. That's not accidental. Related: Joe Lacob's 5-word response to his son Kent quitting Related: Siegel's Scoop: Josh Giddey, Jonathan Kuminga RFA markets unchanged amid recent rumors
San Francisco Chronicle
5 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Shohei Ohtani fans Trout with 101 mph fastball while pitching into the 5th in return to Big A mound
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Shohei Ohtani returned to the Angel Stadium mound with 4 1/3 innings of five-hit, four-run ball for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday night in his first pitching appearance in Anaheim since he left the Los Angeles Angels nearly two years ago. Ohtani put on a two-way show for his old home crowd with seven strikeouts. He fanned Mike Trout twice, getting his friend and fellow MVP the second time with his fastest pitch of the night — a 101 mph fastball in the fourth inning. Ohtani also staked himself to an early lead by tripling and scoring as the Dodgers' leadoff hitter before he even took the mound, entertaining Angels fans with the same inimitable feats he accomplished regularly during his first six major league seasons with their club. Ohtani's mound start was his longest since he returned to pitching two months ago, but he didn't finish strong. He gave up three consecutive one-out hits in the fifth and left after Zach Neto's two-run double trimmed the Dodgers' lead to 5-4. Anthony Banda still escaped the jam, but only after the Angels loaded the bases. Ohtani also gave up a homer to Taylor Ward during the Angels' two-run second inning. He looked sharp in the next two innings before getting chased by two singles and Neto's drive. Ohtani is still beloved in Anaheim by fans who mostly couldn't blame him for leaving a team that could never assemble a winning lineup around him and Trout during six consecutive losing seasons. The three-time MVP — two of those trophies claimed with the Angels — has received cheers whenever he returns to the Big A, although that's also because much of the crowd wears Dodger Blue for these Freeway Series rivalry games. The fans were locked in on the main event in this showdown: After Trout and Ohtani acknowledged each other with slight nods and smirks, Ohtani finished his 1-2-3 first inning by throwing five straight fastballs to Trout before striking him out looking with a sweeper. The MVP ex-teammates hadn't faced each other since Ohtani famously struck out Trout in Tokyo — with the same pitch — to end the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Ohtani was even meaner to Trout in their second meeting, starting him out with a 73 mph curve before eventually fanning him with that blazing fastball in the low outside corner. Outside of Trout, Ohtani saw plenty of familiar faces Wednesday: Seven of the nine hitters in the Angels' starting lineup played with him in Anaheim. But Ohtani hadn't been on the mound at the Big A since Aug. 23, 2023, when he abruptly left a start against Cincinnati in the second inning with elbow pain later revealed to be a torn ligament. The resulting surgery kept him off the mound entirely in 2024 after he signed his 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers. Ohtani returned to pitching two months ago, and the Dodgers have gradually built up his innings while maintaining his everyday role as their DH and leadoff hitter. Before his mound return, Ohtani homered in each of the first two games of this series — although he also lined into a triple play Tuesday. After getting loud pregame cheers, Ohtani began by driving a 2-2 pitch from Kyle Hendricks into deep right for a triple, and he quickly scored on Betts' single. Will Smith added his 15th homer a few minutes later to stake his pitcher to a 3-0 lead. Ward blasted a 97 mph fastball from Ohtani to right for his 29th homer, just the second allowed by Ohtani this season. Yoán Moncada then doubled and scored on two flyouts. ___
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
"I still feel it and I think I'm going to feel it until I die" - Giannis Antetokounmpo on the lingering effect of playing through a hyperextended knee in the 2021 NBA Finals
"I still feel it and I think I'm going to feel it until I die" - Giannis Antetokounmpo on the lingering effect of playing through a hyperextended knee in the 2021 NBA Finals originally appeared on Basketball Network. Back in the 2021 NBA playoffs, particularly in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Giannis Antetokounmpo suffered a gruesome injury which led him to believe that not only was his season over, but so was the year after. Antetokounmpo — known for being the toughest and strongest competitor on the floor on most nights — was seen in visible pain after his knee bent backward, resulting in the consensus belief that he had suffered an ACL injury. Turns out, Giannis ended up with a hypextended knee injury and even though it was less severe as compared to an ACL or MCL injury, he wasn't supposed to come back right away. But it was the NBA Finals and the Greek Freak decided to take the risk and play through it which paid dividends because it led to a championship. However, playing through a hypextended knee at that time also had its consequences. "My leg was the opposite way," Giannis told GQ in 2021. "To this day, I feel the effect, the traumatic stress. I still feel it, and I think I'm going to feel it until I die." Giannis risked it all for a championship If Antetokounmpo were asked today if he'd play through a hyperextended knee again, given that he'd feel the long-term effects of it, he wouldn't hesitate to say yes, since it led to a championship. Even if it meant putting his career on the line, the nine-time All-Star got through arguably one of the most challenging decisions of his life, with the best possible outcome, being the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy. "What basically happened is that if my leg had hyperextended one more time," Antetokounmpo said. "I was done. I was done. There's nothing to cut that was in there. It was torn already. It was out — (the piece that) protected me from an MCL or ACL (tear). There's a thing (in your leg) that protects you when you hyperextend (your knee) that doesn't let you go all the way back. So that thing was torn. So if I had gone all the way back again, that'd be it for me." Antetokounmpo ended up playing all six games of the finals and averaged 35.2 points, 13.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.8 blocks, 1.2 steals per game in 39.8 minutes that also led him to win the finals MVP. It was a legendary performance that will go down as one of the best in NBA history. Lingering effect to this day Giannis has consistently dealt with leg injuries since the 2021 NBA Finals. Therefore it seems he was right when he predicted the ripple effects of playing through a serious hyperextended knee injury for the rest of his life. Over the last couple of years, the one-time champion has endured calf issues as well as knee problems that even kept him out of the playoffs and affected the Bucks' chances to compete for a championship. While only those close to Antetokounmpo can determine whether that's because of playing through the 2021 hyperextension or not, he's definitely been more hurt than usual lately. One can only hope Giannis never finds himself in a similar situation story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 13, 2025, where it first appeared.
