Dressed in a white short-sleeved shirt, Hardaway strolled with O'Neal along the edge of the clinic's Central Lake, looking almost like a couple out for a walk.
In fact, their time together on the Magic had been as wonderful as a first love.
Both were young and full of swagger, both were incredibly talented. An inside-outside duo, a match made in heaven. In just their second year together, they made it to the Finals.
O'Neal didn't speak. He was a talkative person who could chat with anyone, but in front of Hardaway, he felt a bit awkward.
Back then, he had chosen to leave because of his contract renewal with the Magic. He'd held a grudge against Hardaway over it ever since. After that, they never spoke again. They didn't even say a single word to each other when they were on the Olympic team that same year.
But times had changed, and thinking back on those conflicts from their youth, they now seemed laughable.
