National Basketball Association

How the Orlando Magic nearly passed on drafting Shaquille O'Neal ... by accident

Published Mar. 31, 2015 1:06 p.m. ET

foxsports

Younger readers in the audience, take note. It's not just a recent phenomenon: Technical difficulties have been messing things up for a long, long time.

There was never any doubt that the Orlando Magic would take Shaquille O'Neal with the first overall pick in 1992. But they almost missed out on the legendary big man anyway due to a communications breakdown in their draft room that would have completely changed the course of NBA history. Here's how Magic SVP Pat Williams explained it:

“We had a telephone intercom system. We were ready to have the dramatic announcement. I came out to announce our draft pick. Live and in color. And you have five minutes to pick. As you start the first one, they would say ‘Team No. 1 you’re on the clock.’

“But we can’t get the phone to work. We cannot get this phone to work. We had engineers there. And the clock is ticking down..five, four [minutes]. We are now literally coming down to two. And I am thinking, ‘this is going to be the biggest faux pas in sports history. We’re going to have to pass on this pick, and Charlotte is going to have the first pick, and they’re going to get Shaq. And Alonzo Mourning is going to go to Minnesota and we’re out.’”

(Read more at OrlandoSentinel.com)