Lakers News: How Did Shaq Look In First Game Back In Orlando?
Kareem Abdul-jabbar Critical Of Dwight Howard’s Work Ethic With Lakers
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

With Dwight Howard prepared to make his return to Orlando on Tuesday night after spending the first eight seasons of his career as a member of the Magic, it’s just one more similarity between Howard and the former NBA center Shaquille O’Neal. The story is well known, as Shaq and Howard were both centers with the Magic who led their team to the NBA Finals before departing Florida for Los Angeles and the Lakers. Howard will get his first opportunity to play as a visiting player in Orlando tonight, so his numbers are obviously yet to be determined.

O’Neal’s first game against the Magic came on Feb. 22, 1998, as Shaq’s Lakers took on the Magic in the now-defunct Amway Arena. Let’s take a look at the Lakers’ box score from that game. Shaq had a decent game (by his standards) in his Orlando return, scoring 20 points and snagging 10 rebounds. Unfortunately for O’Neal, his Lakers fell to the Magic 96-94 after the Magic’s Nick Anderson hit a three-pointer with just seven seconds remaining in the game.

So how will Howard’s return to Orlando compare to Shaq’s? We’ll see tonight when the Lakers face the Magic at the Amway Center.

You May Also Like

Rockets’ Christian Wood ‘Circled’ Matchup With Anthony Davis, Lakers

After a stretch of facing non-playoff opponents, Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers now are in Texas to…

Max Christie: Lakers Being First In-Season Tournament Winners Means More Than Money

The inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament was a tremendous success despite mixed opinions from fans and players in the offseason…

NBA News: Lonzo Ball Denies Dissing Lakers In Latest Song ‘Last Days’

The Los Angeles Lakers traded Lonzo Ball in early July just two years after telling him his No. 2 jersey would one day hang…

Lakers News: Team Interviews Mike Dunleavy For Head Coaching Position

[new_royalslider id=”279″] After the Los Angeles Lakers landed the seventh pick in…