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Shaquille O'Neal played his first NBA game at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Nov. 21, 1992. Je was left frustrated because of the Orlando Magic's loss to the New York Knicks, as well as the traffic in the city. He also memorably wore a black coat with a "Superman" logo on the back.
In a throwback piece from Sports Illustrated, O'Neal explained why he doesn't love New York City, despite frequently traveling there when he was a teenager. He grew up in Newark, New Jersey, which is just 10 miles away from the "Big Apple."
Shaq said this during his first visit to New York as an NBA superstar:
"Too much traffic."
The future LA Lakers legend also famously wore a black coat with a "Superman" logo on the back during his first trip to New York City as an Orlando Magic player. He toured the city with teammate Dennis Scott but never removed his black coat.
Shaquille O'Neal had a busy time at the "Big Apple," and it might have affected his first game at Madison Square Garden. O'Neal did not have a poor game, finishing with 18 points, 17 rebounds and three blocks.
However, he also had seven turnovers and shot just 38.9%. Patrick Ewing did a great job making things difficult for Shaq, leading to the New York Knicks' 92-77 win on the night. Charles Smith stole the show with 26 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks off the bench for the Knicks.
Shaquille O'Neal learned a lesson from his father after loss to Knicks
Shaquille O'Neal felt a lot of pressure as a rookie for the Orlando Magic. He almost succumbed to it following his loss to the New York Knicks in his first game at Madison Square Garden against Patrick Ewing.
In an appearance on "The Pivot" podcast last year, Shaq explained how his step-father Sgt. Philip Harrison taught him how to handle pressure. Harrison took him to a homeless family and explained to him that there's no bigger pressure than trying to feed your family daily.
"So when I get to the house, we ride and he not sayin nothing in the car, and I see a homeless family. And what he does every time he goes that route, he give them some money to eat, so we just sit there lookin, and he don't say nothing.
"And he said, ‘You spoiled m****f****r, this is pressure! Pressure is when you don’t know where your next meal coming from. I don't ever wanna hear you say you can't handle the pressure again. It's f***ng basketball. Get out!'"
