In the age of podcasts, NBA aficionados are well taken care of, as there are plenty of platforms on which current and former players can open up about their careers, the game and more. Sometimes said conversations can generate interesting statements, and that was the case during a recent interview involving former Orlando Magic star Penny Hardaway. The former guard asserted that the Los Angeles Lakers lured his ex-teammate, Shaquille O’Neal, to the team with the help of Hollywood stars like Demi Moore and Bruce Willis. Well, CinemaBlend had a chance to speak with Jeanie Buss, who worked for the California-based team then and is now team owner, and she shared a response to that declaration.
What Exactly Did Penny Hardaway Say About Shaquille O’Neal’s Decision To Leave The Orlando Magic?
Penny Hardaway and Shaq played alongside each other in Orlando for three years, from 1993 to 1996. During his appearance on the Compass Circle podcast, Penny Hardaway recalled learning about Shaq’s plan to leave the Magic. Apparently, Hardaway found out that information while speaking to the press amid the 1996 Summer Olympics. The former point guard did, however, say that he and O’Neal discussed the development after the fact. When sharing why he believed the Diesel opted to sign with the Lakers, Hardaway said the following:
I didn’t want him to go, but I found out that Bruce Willis and Demi Moore [and] all these entertainers and actors out in LA helped recruit him with Jerry West to come out there, and it was too overwhelming. And Shaq being in the movies and into music… It was a great career move for him, because going to LA was a bigger market than Orlando.
That’s definitely a bold statement, but there is merit to the ex-Phoenix Sun’s sentiments. Historically, there have been instances – within the NBA and other professional sports leagues – in which Hollywood A-listers are recruited to help pitch teams (and by extension, cities) to highly sought-after athletes. But is that actually what happened in the case of Shaq and the Lakers?
How Did Jeanie Buss Respond To Penny Hardaway’s Claim?
CinemaBlend was fortunate enough to catch up with Jeanie Buss at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, where she was promoting Women of Wrestling, which she co-owns, alongside her colleagues. During the discussion, we relayed Penny Hardaway’s comments to her, which generated a bit of a chuckle. Buss – whose father, the late Dr. Jerry Buss, previously owned the Lakers – then proceeded to discuss how her NBA team signed Shaq back in the early aughts:
We did everything that was legal to attract Shaquille O’Neal to the Lakers and go on to win back-to-back-to-back championships. I’m on the board of Shaq’s foundation. I mean, I have to ask him that question the next time I see him.
The championship-winning NBA owner seemed relatively jovial when answering our question. She didn’t flat-out deny the notion that major celebrities factored in when late GM Jerry West was courting the Steel star. However, her tone seems to suggest that she thinks the idea of that is somewhat humorous and that she has no knowledge of any such situation involving the stars.
Regardless of how Shaquille O’Neal was convinced to sign with the Lakers, most can certainly agree that his time there was mostly fruitful (regardless of any dysfunction he and ex-teammate Kobe Bryant had). I’d like to think that Jeanie Buss, like so many others, is very glad that O’Neal decided to sign with the team. As for whether, Bruce Willis, Demi Moore or anyone else truly played a role in the talent acquisition, I’d be curious to hear if anyone else backs up or disagrees with Penny Hardaway.
You can learn about the history of the Los Angeles-based team by checking out the docuseries Legacy: The True Story of the LA Lakers using a Hulu subscription. A young Jeanie Buss also appears in the scripted, two-season dramedy Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, which is available to Max subscription holders.
