The top 10 individual Orlando Magic season performances

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Shaquille O'Neal, Orlando Magic, Portland Trail Blazers

Shaquille O’Neal was an immediate force in the NBA that vaulted the Orlando Magic into contender status. (Photo credit should read TONY RANZE/AFP via Getty Images) /

1. 1995 Shaquille O’Neal

Per Game Table
Season	Age	G	MP	FG%	3P%	eFG%	FT%	TRB	BLK	PTS
1994-95	22	79	37.0	.583	.000	.583	.533	11.4	2.4	29.3

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 6/23/2020.

Leading the league in scoring this season and second in MVP voting, Shaquille O’Neal would carry the Orlando Magic all the way to the NBA Finals.

He spoiled Magic fans for years to come by literally backing over the competition effortlessly.

Orlando fans knew he was the best player in the league and any argument against that would be uncivilized. Even with how young and unrefined his game could be. O’Neal quickly grew up and even at his early stage, he changed the game completely.

Defenders routinely flailed-foul as they were layed onto the court under the basket but officials would stand pat knowing it is not a crime to be larger than life.

The original Superman still holds the greatest single season of all time in Orlando Magic history.

Orlando finished with a 57-25 record claiming the number one seed in the east. Hack-a-Shaq was in full swing and it more often than not did not matter if he missed the and 1 because he was likely to put up 25 points taking uncalled fouls anyway.

He scored 29.3 points per game and grabbed 11.4 rebounds per game. During the Playoffs, he averaged 25.7 points and 11.9 rebounds per game. He was still young and learning how to deal with Playoff defenses geared to stop him.

Still, he put in some stellar playoff performances worth noting.

He scored 35 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in a critical two-point win in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals. That win set the Magic up to reach the NBA Finals.

A heavyweight showdown of the top centers in the game finally extinguished Orlando’s hopes of a title as they were swept in the Finals by the Houston Rockets. O’Neal acquitted himself well, averaging 28.0 points and 12.5 rebounds per game in his first Finals appearance.

So close, but not the player or team to bring home the prize for the Magic.

dark. Next. The 10 greatest moments in Orlando Magic history

Orlando’s championship belongs to the future class, who is up to the challenge? The tribe has spoken, thanks for reading.