Magic Legend Shaquille O'Neal Reveals Lesson Learned After 1995 NBA Finals
ORLANDO - It's been 28 years since Shaquille O'Neal and the Orlando Magic met the Houston Rockets in the 1995 NBA Finals.
While the Magic ultimately fell short in a four-game sweep, it remains one of the franchise's proudest achievements. It was also a foundational moment for O'Neal, who was just 23 years old at the time.
"I realized that in order to be the best, you have to beat the best," O'Neal said via The Houston Chronicle. "That year we faced off, and the best won out. It just made me a much stronger competitor."
Orlando Magic legend Shaquille O'Neal
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In the series, Olajuwon averaged 32.8 points, 11.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 2.0 blocks and 2.0 steals on 48.3 percent shooting from the field. O'Neal proved to be a worthy adversary, averaging 28.0 points, 12.5 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 2.5 blocks and 0.3 steals on 59.5 percent shooting, but it wasn't enough to carry the Magic to victory.
It was the second straight year that Olajuwon had carried the Rockets to a championship, as the year before they defeated the New York Knicks in seven games.
O'Neal would go on to win four NBA championships in his career and has three Finals MVPs to his name. He won three straight NBA Finals with the Los Angeles Lakers from 1999-2002 and then won his fourth and final ring with the Miami Heat in 2006.
Olajuwon and O'Neal are considered some of the best to ever play the sport. They were both named to the Hall of Fame and recently, to the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team which recognized the top 75 players in NBA history.
