ESPN will premiere its latest 30 for 30 film, This Magic Moment, tonight at 9 P.M. on the East Coast. The two-hour documentary, directed by Gentry Kirby and Erin Leyden with participation from Shaquille O’Neal and Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway, takes an in-depth look at the expansion-era Orlando Magic and how they grew into a championship contender.

After making the NBA Finals in 1995 and then losing to the 72-win Bulls in 1996, Shaq left to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency. Penny dealt with a litany of injuries and was never the same again. The rise of the Magic was an improbable story, their breakup even more so. Earlier this week, we caught up with Shaq and Penny to talk about their time in Orlando and much more. The interviews were conducted separately.

Why did you two decide to revisit your brief time together in Orlando after all these years?

Shaq: We got lost in the shuffle as one of the greatest one-two punches in history. We wanted to make sure people didn’t forget. People talk about Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan, Penny was in that category before he got hurt.

Penny: We felt like the story needed to be told. We were one of the forgotten teams. We wanted people to remember that we were pretty good.

The film talks about how the two of you met on the set of Blue Chips after the 1992 season, just as Shaq finished his rookie season and Penny was entering the draft. Does Penny end up on the Magic if you two don’t make that movie together?

Shaq: No, not at all. I didn’t know who Penny was.

"I win money all the time now, especially with the young guys, when I ask them who was the last team to beat the Bulls. They forget."

Penny: I don’t think I'd end up in Orlando. We played real basketball on set, it wasn’t scripted. So I made sure that every chance I got I fed him, just to let him know, this is how it would be if I played on your team in the NBA.

Shaq: I was adamant to [management], I said, “Hey, if you don’t get this guy, my deal is up and I’m going to look to do different things. So help me help you.” I knew what Penny could do. They listened to me. It was the right thing to do.

Shaq seems like the type to pull a lot of pranks on his teammates.

Penny: Thank god he left me alone. But he pulled pranks on everybody else. Shaq was always doing something. He had one of our teammates, David Vaughn, take off his jacket and shirt in a blizzard when we flew into Chicago and just started wrestling him in the snow.

Shaq: I don’t remember that. But I did a lot of stuff. I have former teammates come up to me now reminding me of things. I got so many stories, I can’t even keep track.

Was Universal Studios a place you visited often when you played in Orlando?

Shaq: All the time. My favorite was the Terminator 2 3D ride, because they had me in the pre-show video.

Penny: I lived seven minutes from it, it was right around the corner. I was there all the time, like a little kid. My favorite ride was Back to the Future, for whatever reason.

Shaq, from the rap albums to commercials to movies, you met a lot of celebrities at a young age. Who left you starstruck?

Shaq: Halle Berry. She was wearing no makeup, but she was just as beautiful as she was in any movie or commercial. And she knew my name. She said, “Hi Shaquille, I’m a fan of yours.” I was like, awwww, awwww [more inaudible noises].

The Magic make a run to the NBA Finals in 1995. What were some of the more memorable moments?

Penny: Beating the Celtics in the first round and closing the series out in the final game at the Boston Garden was really special because of all the history, all the championships and the great players and coaches that had come through there. It was a great feeling.