In his early NBA years with the Orlando Magic<\/a>, the rest of the league saw a superstar<\/a>. At 7\u20191\u2033, he was a physical anomaly with his strength, but he was also extremely athletic. Despite his size, he had a soft touch around the rim with his hook shots. <\/p>\n O\u2019Neal may never have improved from the free-throw line, but he was superb everywhere else. The transition to the NBA could have been tough, but he had the right people around him. This included basketball\u2019s biggest name: Michael Jordan<\/a>, who gave him valuable advice.<\/p>\n As the most distinguished superstar when O\u2019Neal entered the league, Jordan was a respected figure. Any young player who entered the league knew that Jordan was the best, and any advice he gave was valuable.<\/p>\n O\u2019Neal quickly became one of the league\u2019s best players, so he and Jordan were able to interact. During those interactions, His Airness said the young Diesel would have a good career. However, he had to set high expectations because that would motivate him. <\/p>\n An honest moment from Shaq, talking about playing against Jordan.<\/p>\n \u201cI was terrified out there\u2026the whole game\u2026for one he\u2019s the greatest player, two\u2014I was worried about him dunking on me\u2026the stuff that I saw in college on TV, it was really real.\u201d pic.twitter.com\/30APSimDjz<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 JordanMuse (@JordanMuse_) July 18, 2025<\/a> <\/p>\n View Tweet<\/p>\n The dominant center had many failures in his Magic career<\/a>, but he was still a fantastic player. He even led Orlando past Jordan\u2019s Chicago Bulls<\/a> to reach the 1995 NBA Finals. Unfortunately, the losses became too much, which led to O\u2019Neal\u2019s move<\/a> to the Los Angeles Lakers<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you\u2019re dealing with success, there are always higher expectations from year to year. But I think what\u2019s very important for Shaquille is to set his own expectations and live up to those,\u201d Jordan said in an interview about a young O\u2019Neal<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIf he lives up to his own expectations, he\u2019s gonna surpass the expectations that people may have for him.\u201d<\/p>\n The big man delivered on his potential<\/p>\n As one of the most exciting prospects in the 1990s, O\u2019Neal already had high expectations before the NBA. It was a struggle because he had to play under immense pressure. However, he delivered with strong performances and dominance on the court. <\/p>\n O\u2019Neal also became one of the most recognizable faces worldwide due to his many advertisements and projects. Alongside the money he earned, the pressure mounted. The expectations were heavy, so winning with the Lakers was a massive relief for the Diesel.<\/p>\n Jordan\u2019s advice was key for O\u2019Neal because he set high expectations and delivered on them. Winning a three-peat with the Lakers was proof of his lofty expectations and how he kept exceeding them. That era ended abruptly<\/a>, but it was still successful.<\/p>\n He ended his career with four championships and a fantastic resume. It is safe to say that he met and surpassed expectations throughout his career. O\u2019Neal is a superstar who rightfully deserves his place in the history books.<\/p>\n ![\"NBA](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-2222350643-941x627.jpg\")
Photo by Jeff Bottari\/Zuffa LLCJordan wanted O\u2019Neal to set high expectations for himself<\/p>\n