Penny Hardaway Admits He Was 'Jealous' Of Shaquille O'Neal's Run With Kobe Bryant

Before Shaquille O'Neal ever became a Laker, he was a superstar for the Orlando Magic. He spent his first four seasons with the Magic and emerged as a legendary talent from the very beginning.

Over 295 games with the Magic, O'Neal averaged 27.2 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks per game on 58% shooting. He led them during one of their most prosperous eras in franchise history, which included a trip to the NBA Finals in 1995.

While Penny Hardaway often gets overlooked during this era, he was Shaq's co-star at the time and a major piece to the Magic's success. Penny was really the first sidekick for Shaq and he thrived alongside him with a stat line of 17.5 points, 6.7 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game alongside the Diesel.

Of course, Shaq and Penny's partnership was short-lived. After just a few years together, O'Neal left the Magic after relations with the front office turned sour in free agency. A few months later, he was embraced as a Laker, where he would go on to win three championships with Kobe Bryant as his running mate.

Today, O'Nela's run with the Magic is largely overlooked by the average NBA fan but Penny Hardaway will never forget what they were able to build together and it haunted him to watch so much success play out in Los Angeles knowing that it could have been him.

Why Did Shaquille O'Neal Leave The Magic?

It's rare in the NBA for a player to jump teams in their fifth NBA season but Shaq was somehow able to pull it off. Heading into the summer of 1996, the Magic still had full control over Shaq's bird rights and they could have easily exceeded the $24.3 million salary cap to re-sign him that offseason.

Instead, the Magic tried to lowball their franchise superstar. Despite Shaq's asking price of over $115 million, the Magic initially offered a deal worth only $60 million over four years. It was like a slap in the face for the NBA legend, who felt he was worth more than his peers in the field.

In a now infamous move, the franchise even asked its residents if O'Neal was worth his asking price and posted the results in a billboard at the center of the city.

With the Magic unwilling to pay, and problems emerging with Penny Hardaway, O'Neal felt he had no choice but to test free agency and that's where he encountered the Lakers, who offered him a seven-year, $95 million deal. Shaq would eventually sign for over $120 million and his move to the Lakers tipped the balance of power in a way vary rarely seen.

All the while, Penny Hardaway could only sit back and watch as his teams repeatedly struggled to have a breakthrough. Had he just been given a few extra years with the Diesel, they might have made history together for the Magic. But now, we'll never quite know how it would have turned out.