Was Nick Anderson 4 missed FTs in the Finals one of the biggest Watershed moments in NBA History???

[get these nets]

Also, as you see in the modern era how sensitive/insecure Shaq is?
Orlando newspaper putting out a poll about Who Should The Magic sign? Shaq or Penny?
And then posting that the fans voted for Hardaway , is said to have been the final straw for Shaq leaving. I believe it.

 

[VBM]

P-Jax owned Pop

You're right. Pop's overrated as hell. DunGawd dragged Pop kicking and screaming to 5 rings.

We saw what Shaq and Kobe did when Phil (or in Heat Shaq's case Riley) wasn't around.

 

[UpAndComing]

Orlando tried to jerk Shaq out of his money, he was out the door

Their owner had every opportunity to pay him what he was worth and they balked every time. He was gone even if they went 82-0

I watched the 30 for 30 documentary. The owners said "I don't know how we can give a 23 year old that kind of money"

They were absolute idiots lol

 

[BlackMajik]

It's always fascinating to look at certain moments in NBA history and how certain moments affected the future

 

[Street Knowledge]

They flat out didn’t show up in game 2 either

I think they was down 20 at halftime at HOME. Then some backdoor garbage scoring made it seem closer than it was

 

[The_Sheff]

True, but I think if a) they won the title in 95 and b) their owner coughed up the 7/151 he wanted... he might have stayed. Hell, he still lives in Orlando to this day.

Magic management/ownership didn't even make it an option.

Shaq lives is McDonough Georgia during the season.

 

[god shamgod]

Also, as you see in the modern era how sensitive/insecure Shaq is?
Orlando newspaper putting out a poll about Who Should The Magic sign? Shaq or Penny?
And then posting that the fans voted for Hardaway , is said to have been the final straw for Shaq leaving. I believe it.

Nah the question was ‘is shaq worth a 115 mil contract?’ & the survey which was only like 5000 people 90% said no. Cuz in 1996 100 + mil contracts were unheard of , zo got the 1st one in history a few months before

 

[RedBull]

Can’t lie, that hurt watching in real time. Nick was dope in college, the hood loved him and that Illinois team. Seeing this struggle moment in the finals was unreal.

 

[get these nets]

Nah the question was ‘is shaq worth a 115 mil contract?’ & the survey which was only like 5000 people 90% said no. Cuz in 1996 100 + mil contracts were unheard of , zo got the 1st one in history a few months before

You're right

As you can see in the old quote, I've misremembered the story before. Here I corrected myself.

Poll was about Shaq and new contract

The overall point about the results of a local newspaper poll factored in his decision stands.

 

[North of Death]

What if DunGawd doesn't wreck his knee right before the 2000 playoffs

What if he came to Orlando with Grant Hill instead of the original Tin Man TMac?

 

[VBM]

What if he came to Orlando with Grant Hill instead of the original Tin Man TMac?

Grant Hill really might have fulfilled that next Jordan prophecy if they squaded up (and didn't try to play through that ankle injury).

 

[Boonapalist]

Y'all barely beat Kobe's mentor Pippen in 7 that year. Another sweep, Shaq stays and Kobe would have been a Bull in 01

nikkas that never even repeated have no right to speak peasant . Maybe Wemby will finally lead yall to one

 

[BlackMajik]

What if DunGawd doesn't wreck his knee right before the 2000 playoffs

Didn't Doc Rivers dumb ass stop Grant Hill and Duncan from teaming up

What a piece of shyt lol

 

[BlackMajik]

Like somebody else pointed out even Kenny Smith was saying they didn't think they had what it took to beat the Magic. Add in the psychological effect those free throws had on Nick Anderson. That man went 9-18 in that first game for 22 points. He went 9-32 for 27 points combined in the last 3 games. If he plays anywhere close to his normal self the Magic could definitely win that series.

 

[pete clemenza]

Ehhh I think shaq still leaves for LA regardless

Orlando wasn’t big enough for him back then

The restricted free agent rule came right after this tho