Headline Surfer® / YouTube download / video by Sports Talk Florida / Click the video above to watch Shaquille O'Neal reflect on his NBA start with the Orlando Magic as part of his Hall of Fame team induction Friday night at the Amway Arena in Orlando, Florida. The 7-footer expressed regret that he left Orlando for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2006, a year after he and his teammates made it all the way to the NBA Finals for the first time where they were swept by the Houston Rockets. Shaq also is shown below with team CEO Alex Martens in this Orlando Magic photo op.
ORLANDO, Fla. -- With four NBA rings, Shaquille O'Neal doesn't owe anyone any apologies. But that doesn't mean he doesn't have any regrets.
After all, he did lead the Magic to the NBA Finals early on, only to be swept by the Houston Rocket, after which he bolted the City Beautiful for the Hollywood glitz and glamour of the Los Angeles Lakers. And while that 1995 Magic squad came up short, O'Neal may have regret, but there's no doubt as to his eventual championship success -- three rings with LA and a fourth with the Miami Heat.
The Orlando Magic inducted the perennial NBA All-Star into its Hall of Fame on Friday at the Amway Center before the current squad took to the court against the Detroit Pistons. O'Neal became the third inductee into the Magic Hall of Fame. In addition to the induction ceremony, O'Neal was honored during the Magic's matchup vs. the Pistons later in the evening. Orlando's No. 1 overall selection of LSU in the 1991 NBA Draft, O'Neal was thrilled to be back home again with his new-found status: Magic Hall of Famer.
Shaq, in fact, is only the third Magic inductee behind 2014 selections Pat Williams, the co-team founder, and Nick Anderson, the team's first-ever first-round draft choice, 11th overall, back in 1989.
"It's a great honor and really, really unexpected," O'Neal said.
"When I got the call, I couldn't believe it," O'Neal explained. "But me and the DeVos family, we kept a close relationship even after I left in 1996. We've done a lot of business together and personal things together."
O'Neal continued with the affection: "The DeVoses were always a first-class family and (it's) a first-class organization."
Selected by Orlando with the first overall pick of the 1992 NBA Draft, O'Neal starred for the Magicas its franchise center from 1992-96, before leaving as an unrestricted free agent and signing with the Los Angeles Lakers where he cemented his legacy as a one of the all-time greats with three straight NBA championships.
Shaquille O'Neal, the No. 1 overall pick out of LSU in the 1991 NBA Draft by Orlando, was thrilled with his new-found status as a Magic Hall of Famer. He's only the third inductee behind 2014 inductees Pat Williams, the co-team founder, and Nick Anderson, the team's first-ever first-round election, picked 11th overall back in 1989.
"It's a great honor and really, really unexpected," O'Neal said Friday at the Amway Center in downtown Orlando. "When I got the call, I couldn't believe it. But me and the DeVos family, we kept a close relationship even after I left in 1996. We've done a lot of business together and personal things together. The DeVoses were always a first-class family and (it's) a first-class organization."
O'Neal was named an NBA All-Star four times as a member of the Orlando Magic, named to the All-NBA Second Team once (1994-'95) and All-NBA Third Team twice (1993-'94, 1995-'96). He was also named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 1992-'93, after being named the NBA's Rookie of the Year.
O'Neal led the Magic to the 1995 NBA Finals where they were swept by veteran center Akeem Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets.
The Magic would return to the NBA Finals in 2009, this time with as the star center, Dwight Howard, but lost in five games to the Kobe Bryant-led Los Angeles Lakers.
Shaq acknowledged during his Orlando Magic Hall of Fame honor "the heartbreak in '95" when the Magic lost to the far more potent Rockets in the NBA finals, adding he regrets having left the team in 1996, via free agency for the Los Angeles Lakers despite a core that included himself, Penny Hardaway and Nick Anderson.
"That's why I kind of regret it, because we had a young, fabulous team," O'Neal explained. "We really did. And it's a shame that we got torn apart. But I think about that all the time. I try not to live my life now on 'ifs' or 'would've, should've,' but do I regret leaving here in '96, yes I do."
Shaq acknowledged "the heartbreak in '95" when the Magic lost in the NBA finals to the Houston Rockets, adding he regrets leaving the team in 1996, via free agency for the Los Angeles Lakers where he won three consecutive NBA championships, despite a core on the Magic that included himself, Penny Hardaway and Nick Anderson.
"That's why I kind of regret it, because we had a young, fabulous team," O'Neal explained. "We really did. And it's a shame that we got torn apart. But I think about that all the time. I try not to live my life now on 'ifs' or 'would've, should've,' but do I regret leaving here in '96, yes I do."
During his tenure with the Magic, O'Neal appeared in 295 regular season games (293 starts), averaging 27.2 points per game., 12.5 rebounds pg., 2.4 assists pg. and 2.79 blocks pg. in 37.8 minutes pg., while shooting .581 (3,208-5,522 FG) from the floor.
O'Neal ranks among the franchise's all-time leaders in several categories, including rebounding (second, 3,691), blocked shots (second, 824), field goals made (third, 3,208) and points scored (fifth, 8,019). Shaq's 27.2 points per game average is the second-highest in team history and he helped Orlando reach the 1995 NBA Finals.
"The Orlando Magic are honored to recognize those who have made significant contributions to our history," Magic CEO Alex Martins said Friday.
"Shaq made a tremendous impact on our franchise during his time with us and we are thrilled to recognize him as our third inductee into the Magic Hall of Fame," Martens continued. He carries on a great legacy of those who made the greatest contribution to the rich history of the Orlando Magic."
"The Orlando Magic are honored to recognize those who have made significant contributions to our history," Magic CEO Alex Martins, shown here at left, said Friday of Shaquille O'Neal and other Magic greats before and after him. "Shaq made a tremendous impact on our franchise during his time with us and we are thrilled to recognize him as our third inductee into the Magic Hall of Fame. He carries on a great legacy of those who made the greatest contribution to the rich history of the Orlando Magic."
The Magic unveiled its inaugural Hall of Fame class on April 9, 2014, naming the first two inductees, Magic co-founder and Senior Vice President Pat Williams and the team's first-ever draft pick and current Community Ambassador Nick Anderson.
Trish Wingerson, the Magic's assistant director of communications, explained how Hall of Famers are chosen: "The Magic Hall of Fame honors and celebrates the great players, coaches and executives who have had a major impact during the team's illustrious 26-year history," Wingerson said. "The inductees are selected based on their overall on and off the court contributions to the team and organization, years of service, impact in the community and general character of the individual."
FAST FACTS: Shaq's NBA CareerStanding 7 feet 1 & weighing 325 pounds, Shaq, drafted first overall in the 1992 by the Orlando Magic, O'Neal was one of the heaviest and most imposing competitors ever to play in the NBA.
Shaq played for six teams during his 19-year NBA career, during which he earned four NBA championship rings: Three in a row with the Los Angeles Lakers and a fourth with the Miami Heat.
Here are bulleted highlights of Shaq's career: