We’re gonna be totally honest with you: We thought this had already happened – years ago – or at least should have happened years ago. Still, the announcement just dropped, and we couldn’t be happier for our man Shaq. The Orlando Magic, the big man’s first NBA team, has announced it will officially retire his jersey number.
First and foremost, huge congrats to Shaq! An honor well deserved and perhaps a bit overdue. The big event is set to happen in a postgame ceremony the night of February 13th, when the Magic play at home against the Oklahoma City Thunder. That game will be live on TNT. If you happen to be in central Florida, tickets are still available (at the time of this posting), so you might want to hop on that ASAP.
During his time at Orlando, Shaq wore Number 32, as he did for much of his full NBA career. In case you are keeping track of that sort of thing, or happen to be a big Magic fan, O’Neal will be the very first player in Orlando franchise history to have his number retired.
The BIG Podcast with SHAQ
With that retirement, Shaq joins a very, VERY exclusive club. It’s only got two members, as of now. Shaq will join Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in league history to be honored with a jersey retirement by three teams they previously played for. In the not-too-distant future, the club will probably also add LeBron James to it’s ranks, for his playing time in Cleveland, Miami and Los Angeles. All teams Shaq also played for, BTW.
Magic CEO Alex Martins makes the case: “When someone asks who was the first player to officially put the Orlando Magic on the map, the answer is simple – Shaquille O’Neal. He took this franchise to new heights, both on and off the court, and his legacy is still felt within our organization today. On behalf of the DeVos family, we are excited to honor Shaquille by raising No. 32 into the rafters of the Kia Center, where it will remain forever.”
In a press statement, Magic Chairman Dan DeVos said, “Through his dominating play, larger-than-life personality, and generous contributions to The City Beautiful, Shaquille O’Neal had a transformational impact on this team and this town. Our family and the entire franchise couldn’t be more pleased for Shaquille to receive this well-deserved honor, further cementing his enduring legacy here in Orlando as we collectively look back on his tremendous accomplishments in a Magic uniform.”
After a Shaq-sized career at LSU, the Magic selected O’Neal with their Number One pick in the 1992 NBA Draft. O’Neal spent four seasons with the Magic from 1992-96. He appeared in 295 regular-season games (293 starts) with Orlando, averaging 27.2 ppg., 12.5 rpg., 2.4 apg. and 2.79 bpg. in 37.8 mpg., while shooting .581 (3,208-5,522 FG) from the floor.
During that time, Shaq was named an NBA All-Star four times. He was named to the All-NBA Second Team once (1994-95) and All-NBA Third Team twice (1993-94, 1995-96). He was also named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 1992-93 and was the NBA’s Rookie of the Year.
O’Neal still ranks among the franchise’s all-time leaders in several categories, including blocked shots (second, 824), rebounding (third, 3,691), free throws made (third, 1,602), field goals made (fourth, 3,208) and points scored (sixth, 8,019). His 27.2 points per game average is the second-highest in team history and he helped Orlando reach the 1995 NBA Finals.
O’Neal was inducted into the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame in 2015 and was elected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016. He was named to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team in October 2021.
Again, huge congrats to our man Shaq. Can’t wait to see how the ceremony will play out, and what the Inside the NBA crew will plan for the night.