Laettner's superiority pushed O'Neal to be the best player he could be. Those long hours in the gym perfecting his craft paid off as the Orlando Magic selected him first overall in the 1992 NBA Draft.
Opportunity presented itself to the Orlando Magic in 1993. A year earlier, they won the NBA Draft Lottery and ended up picking Shaquille O'Neal first overall in the 1992 NBA Draft. O'Neal won Rookie ...