Read On the Court With... Shaquille O'Neal Online

Authors: Matt Christopher

Tags: #Juvenile Nonfiction, #Basketball, #Sports & Recreation, #United States, #Biography & Autobiography, #African American, #People & Places

On the Court With... Shaquille O'Neal (7 page)

Shaquille O'Neal's Career Highlights

1992–93:

Selected for the All-Star team

NBA Rookie of the Year

1993–94:

Selected for the All-Star team

Led league in scoring and field-goal percentage

1994:

Gold Medal winner at 1994 World Championship Games

1994–95:

Led league in scoring

1995–96:

Selected for the All-Star team

1996:

Gold Medal winner at 1996 Olympic Games

1996–97:

Selected for the All-Star team

Named one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history

1997–98:

Selected for All-NBA first team

1998–99:

Led league in field-goal percentage

1999–2000:

First unanimous MVP in NBA history

Led league in scoring and field-goal percentage

NBA championship winner

2000–01:

Selected for the All-Star team

Led league in field-goal percentage

NBA championship winner

2001–02:

Selected for the All-Star team

NBA championship winner

Named MVP of NBA Finals

2002–03:

Selected for All-NBA First Team

Selected for NBA All-Star Reserves

2003–04:

Named All-Star Game MVP

Led league in field-goal percentage

2004–March 2005:

Selected for NBA All-Star Team

Chapter Four: 1992–95
Magic Man

Shaquille O'Neal was expected to be what is called a lottery pick in the NBA draft. Teams generally draft collegiate players
in reverse order of their finish in the standings; those with poor records select players before those that were more successful.
However, all the teams that don't make the playoffs participate in a lottery governing the first seven picks in the first
round. Although the team with the worst record still has the best chance of being awarded the first pick in the draft, the
number one pick can go to any of the non-playoff teams.

Fans look forward to the lottery and watch it on television during the NBA playoffs. Everyone expected Shaquille to be the
first player selected.

Although the Minnesota Timberwolves had the best chance at the number one pick and the right to select him, Shaquille wasn't
thrilled with the idea
of going to Minnesota. He liked warm weather; the idea of spending most of the winter in snowy Minnesota didn't appeal to
him. He hoped to be selected by a team in a warmer climate.

Fortunately for Shaquille, when NBA commissioner David Stern drew the lottery picks, the Timberwolves received the third pick.
The Charlotte Hornets and the Orlando Magic were the two remaining teams. One of them would receive the first pick.

As Stern opened the envelope to reveal who would have rights to the first pick, O'Neal was more nervous than he'd ever been
in his life. Although both teams were in warm-weather climates, the Charlotte Hornets were a team that needed a great deal
of help. Even O'Neal wouldn't be able to make them a winning team right away. Orlando, on the other hand, was a young, talented
team that was improving rapidly. O'Neal believed that if he was selected by Orlando, he could help them become one of the
best teams in the NBA.

Stern opened an envelope to announce the number two pick. “The second pick of the 1992 NBA draft belongs to” — he paused before
speaking —“the Charlotte Hornets!”

Hornet fans slumped in their chairs while Magic fans roared. That meant the Magic would have the first pick!

O'Neal was relieved. Although it took several weeks for him and the Magic to agree on a contract, O'Neal eventually signed
a seven-year deal worth almost $40 million, the biggest contract ever given to an NBA rookie. Now all O'Neal had to do was
earn his money.

At the same time, sneaker manufacturers and other companies scrambled to sign O'Neal to lucrative endorsement contracts to
help them sell their products. O'Neal was expected to be the next great NBA player, as well-known as Michael Jordan. O'Neal
eventually signed deals worth twice the amount of his NBA contract.

Almost overnight, the Magic became one of the most popular teams in the NBA. As soon as Shaquille was drafted, Magic fans
scooped up tickets for the upcoming season by the handful and Magic jerseys bearing O'Neal's name sold quickly.

O'Neal spent the summer preparing for life in the NBA. He found a place to live in Orlando and attended a camp for centers
operated by a highly respected coach named Pete Newell. Newell was
impressed when O'Neal signed up. Few NBA centers recognized that there was always more to learn about basketball. O'Neal absorbed
all he could during the summer sessions, then turned his attention to the start of his career as a professional basketball
player.

O'Neal was excited when the Magic's training camp began. He looked forward to meeting his new teammates and Coach Brian Hill.
He had been frustrated in his final year of college and was eager to play in the NBA. There were so many talented players
in the league that it would be impossible for another team to triple-team him as had been the case in college. Most college
players find professional basketball much more difficult than the college game, but for O'Neal, it promised to be easier in
some ways.

Though the Magic didn't have much depth, they did have some talented players on their roster. Both Nick Anderson and Dennis
Scott were deadly outside shooters. If O'Neal played hard underneath the basket, and Anderson and Scott could hit from outside,
the Magic had the potential to beat any team in the league.

He played his first NBA game on November 6,
1992, against the Miami Heat. O'Neal was nervous at the start, and it showed in his play. He tried to do too much and missed
several easy shots. Then he settled down. Instead of trying to score every time he touched the ball, he looked for the open
man and concentrated on playing defense and snagging rebounds.

Nick Anderson got hot late in the game, scoring 42 points. The Magic emerged with a 110–100 victory. Although O'Neal scored
only 12 points, he pulled down 18 big rebounds and shut down Miami close to the basket.

He relaxed over the next week. His shots started falling as he led the Magic to three wins in their first four games. The
league took notice of the impact he had on his team, and he was named the NBA Player of the Week, the first time a rookie
had ever won the award in the first week of the season.

A few weeks later the Magic traveled to New York to play the Knicks. The Knicks' center, Patrick Ewing, was considered the
premier center in basketball. Basketball fans looked forward to the matchup, wondering if O'Neal could play as well against
Ewing as he had against less-talented centers.

The Knicks played O'Neal rough, for they knew
that no other Magic player could hurt them close to the basket. Almost every time he got the ball, Patrick Ewing leaned in
on O'Neal as powerful Knick forward Charles Oakley pawed at the ball. They made O'Neal work hard for every shot.

But O'Neal also made Ewing work for his shots. Although the veteran had some success staying outside and shooting jumpers,
when he was closer to the basket he had a difficult time getting off a shot, for O'Neal challenged him every time. Although
Orlando lost, 92–77, O'Neal actually outplayed Ewing, getting him in foul trouble, outscoring him 18 to 15, and pulling down
17 rebounds. Ewing pulled down only 9. Clearly, O'Neal was already one of the elite centers in the league.

And fans everywhere loved him. O'Neal swooped into town wearing an enormous floor-length leather coat with a Superman emblem
emblazoned on the back, making him look even bigger than he was. He often spent time interacting with fans and was funny and
engaging in interviews. Each time he left the team hotel, he was mobbed. He was already one of the most popular players in
the league, almost as popular as Michael Jordan.

O'Neal's popularity, in fact, was the cause of the
biggest problem he faced his rookie year. NBA fans selected him over Ewing as a starting center in the NBA All-Star Game.
Pat Riley, coach of the Knicks and the Eastern All-Stars, was angered and called O'Neal's selection “ridiculous.” He felt
that O'Neal hadn't earned his selection to the starting five; even though O'Neal led Ewing in most statistical categories,
the Magic were only playing .500 ball. O'Neal quieted the critics, however, by racking up 14 points and grabbing 7 rebounds
in the contest, which the East lost to the West, 135–125, in overtime.

Over the second half of the season, the Magic fought hard to make the playoffs. Entering the final week of the season, they
were battling Indiana and Charlotte for the final spot. The Magic needed to win their last four games to get into the playoffs.

Shaquille was superb down the stretch, dominating play on both ends of the floor. But the Magic managed to win only three
of the final four games and ended the season tied with Indiana with a 41–41 record. The Pacers, who had beaten the Magic in
head-to-head competition earlier in the year, won the playoff spot.

To no one's surprise, O'Neal was named the Rookie of the Year. He had averaged 23 points and
almost 14 rebounds a game for the season. But now he was glad it was over. He was tired and looked forward to doing other
things. Since turning professional, he hadn't had time to do much but play basketball.

O'Neal's endorsement contracts kept him busy in the off-season. He went all over the world making appearances. And with money
in his pocket for the first time in his life, there were other things O'Neal wanted to do. After all, he was still only twenty
years old. He had always loved music and rapping, so he made a rap record. And when he was offered a part in a movie, he jumped
at the chance, playing a basketball player in a film about college basketball called
Blue Chips
. He also made a number of television commercials and appeared on all the big talk shows. By the time training camp began
for his second season, some people were wondering whether O'Neal had spread himself too thin and whether playing basketball
was his first priority. He wasn't in the best shape he could have been and received some criticism.

But the Magic as a team were much improved. In a trade they picked up rookie point guard Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway. O'Neal
had played with him in
some pickup games and knew that Hardaway could help the Magic. Penny was one of the most talented young players in the league
and gave the Magic something they desperately needed — a player to get the ball to the team's shooters.

Yet another factor helped make the Magic instant contenders for the 1993–94 NBA title. After leading the Chicago Bulls to
three straight championships, Michael Jordan retired to play baseball. The championship race was wide open, and the Magic
seemed to have the talent to go all the way. People expected O'Neal and Hardaway to be as good as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and
Magic Johnson had been for the Lakers during their great championship run in the late 1980s.

For much of the season, the Magic played as if they were up to the task. Hardaway ran the team's offense to perfection, getting
the ball to the right players in the right place at the right time. As often as not, that meant getting the ball to O'Neal.
O'Neal exploded at the start of the season, scoring 42, 36, and 37 points in his first three games.

The Magic were clearly one of the best teams in the league. But O'Neal soon learned that with success come increased expectations
and jealousy. When
he had a rare off game, he was criticized. Other players in the league griped about all the attention he received. The NBA
even broadcast more Magic games than any other team in the league. Others complained that while he was very, very good, he
wasn't as good as he could be and that other centers in the league — such as Patrick Ewing, Charlotte's Alonzo Mourning, San
Antonio Spur David Robinson, and Houston Rocket Hakeem Olajuwon —were just as good.

O'Neal understood. He knew that the real measure of an NBA player is his ability to lead a team to a championship. Until he
did that, there would always be someone complaining that he hadn't reached his full potential.

The Magic finished the season with a record of 50–32 and easily made the playoffs.

They faced the Indiana Pacers in the first round. The best-of-five series opened in Indiana. The Pacers were tough to beat
on their home court. They took the first two games — then dumped the Magic in Orlando in Game Three. Orlando's season was
over.

Shaquille said later, “This is the most down I've ever felt.” He promised everyone that in the off-season
his focus would be basketball and nothing else. He was determined to prove to everyone that he could win.

He gave up much of his summer to play for the U.S. team with other NBA players in the world championships. Although there
was little question whether the United States would win the tournament, it was still important. If they let down and lost,
it would affect the placement of the U.S. team in the next Olympic Games.

Everyone connected with the team was impressed by the way O'Neal played and behaved. Other players who had been jealous of
him or thought that he was stuck-up were surprised to discover that he was the hardest-working player in practice. And in
the locker room, he was the team clown, keeping everyone loose. He led the team in both scoring and rebounding as the United
States swept the world to win the gold medal.

O'Neal's commitment and improvement on court continued in the 1994–95 season. He developed a short hook shot and fadeaway
jumper to give him alternatives close to the basket and help keep him out of foul trouble. Most teams had already figured
out that the best way to stop him was to get him in foul
trouble and dare him to make his free throws. The new shots made it easier for O'Neal to avoid making offensive fouls. The
Magic also picked up former Chicago Bulls power forward Horace Grant, giving the team another option close to the basket.
This addition made it more difficult for the opposition to double-team O'Neal.

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