Shaquille O’Neal’s quantity will likely be retired Feb. 13 by the Orlando Magic, who will turn out to be the third NBA franchise to provide that tribute to the four-time champion and Basketball Corridor of Famer.
O’Neal, who wore No. 32 in Orlando, would be the first participant to get a jersey quantity retired by the Magic. The Los Angeles Lakers retired his No. 34 jersey in April 2013, and the Miami Warmth retired his No. 32 jersey in December 2016. O’Neal received three titles with the Lakers and one other with the Warmth.
“When somebody asks who was the primary participant to formally put the Orlando Magic on the map, the reply is straightforward — Shaquille O’Neal,” Orlando Magic CEO Alex Martins stated. “He took this franchise to new heights, each on and off the court docket, and his legacy remains to be felt inside our group as we speak. On behalf of the DeVos household, we’re excited to honor Shaquille by elevating No. 32 into the rafters of the Kia Heart, the place it is going to stay without end.”
O’Neal was the No. 1 choose within the 1992 NBA draft by the Magic, and he spent his first 4 professional seasons in Orlando earlier than leaving for the Lakers in 1996. He was the NBA’s rookie of the yr for Orlando in 1993, was an All-Star in all 4 of his seasons with the Magic, led them to their first NBA Finals in 1995 and nonetheless ranks among the many franchise’s profession leaders in a number of classes, together with blocked photographs (second, 824), rebounds (third, 3,691) and factors scored (sixth, 8,019).
The choice was introduced on TNT’s “NBA Tip-Off” on Thursday, the present that O’Neal has been a part of for a number of years. O’Neal stated he was significantly grateful for Wealthy DeVos — the unique proprietor of the Magic, who died in 2018 — for bringing him to Orlando.
“It was an excellent 4 years there,” O’Neal stated on the present. “I simply wished to return in and simply make a reputation for myself. … I would wish to thank town of Orlando, wish to thank the Orlando Magic group. Admire you very a lot.”
The Magic have seen three different gamers put on No. 32 since O’Neal left there in 1996. Jeremy Richardson donned it for 12 video games within the 2008-09 season, Justin Harper wore it for 14 video games within the 2011-12 season and C.J. Watson had it for 95 video games over two seasons from 2015 by 2017.
The retirement ceremony will observe Orlando’s sport in opposition to Oklahoma Metropolis, one which will likely be televised on TNT. O’Neal went into the Magic Corridor of Fame in 2015, the Basketball Corridor of Fame in 2016 and was named to the NBA’s seventy fifth Anniversary Workforce in 2021.