Where does Nikola Vucevic rank among All-Time Magic Centers?
1. Shaquille O’Neal
Shaquille O’Neal took the Orlando Magic from being an emerging expansion franchise to a global brand. It is that simple.
Globally, there are still Magic fans whose patronage is the result of Shaq, and Anfernee Hardaway.
The 1992 draft was deemed a Sweepstakes for Shaq, and the Magic had that lucky ping pong ball deliver the man-child from LSU.
While it did only result in four dominant seasons and one Finals trip, the fact Shaq’s career was born in Orlando at all can still be a marvel in franchise history, aside from the fact his championships were all won elsewhere.
With Orlando, O’Neal was fractions of a point shy of leading the league in scoring (losing to David Robinson on the final day of the season), he tore down two basketball goals, made NBA on NBC Sunday’s a feast for the eyes of kids throughout the nation. The Magic had become the league’s chic pick and most popular team.
And No. 32 was the thing that set the wheels in motion, the linchpin in bringing Penny Hardaway, Horace Grant and his goggles; and Nick Anderson and Dennis Scott knocking down triples unchecked by the dozen.
Shaquille O’Neal was inducted into the Magic Hall of Fame in April, and at this point is the only first ballot Hall of Famer to have spent productive seasons in Orlando (with all due respect to Mark Price, Patrick Ewing and Dominique Wilkins!). The Magic’s glory days are tied to Penny and Shaq, and there’s not really any pretense that the Howard years were anything close to it in terms of appeal, money, fame and respect.
O’Neal is still friends with Magic owner Rich DeVos, but he cited his ownership involvement with the Sacramento Kings as a blockade from him having any role with the Magic organization.