The 1992-93 season was Orlando’s fourth season in the NBA.[1] The season held a lot of promise as Shaquille O'Neal was drafted first overall by the Magic. There were predictions that O’Neal become the next dominant center in the NBA. Shaq became an instant superstar with merchandising that rivaled only Michael Jordan. O’Neal would win the Rookie of the Year Award while averaging 23.4 points per game, and 13.9 rebounds per game. The Magic had various problems with injuries, as Dennis Scott got hurt near the end of the season. Despite O’Neal’s rookie performance, the Magic fell short of the final playoff spot via tiebreaker with a 41-41 record.[2]
Shaquille O'Neal was drafted as the 1st overall pick in the 1992 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic. During that summer, prior to moving to Orlando, he spent a significant amount of time in Los Angeles under the tutelage of Hall of Famer Magic Johnson.
O'Neal had an exceptional rookie season, as he helped the Magic win 20 more games than the previous season, with the team ultimately missing the playoffs by virtue of a tie-breaker with the Indiana Pacers. O'Neal averaged 23.4 points and 13.9 rebounds per game for the season and was named the 1993 NBA Rookie of the Year. O'Neal played in the All-Star game and scored 14 points. On two occasions during that season, each during a nationally televised game, O'Neal dunked the ball so hard that he broke the backboard support units.
United States
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