The Orlando Magic, celebrating their 35th anniversary this season, have announced their official retirement of jersey No. 32 in honor of NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal, who played as a center for the team.
This momentous occasion, scheduled for a postgame ceremony on Tuesday, 13th February, 2024, marks O’Neal as their first player in the franchise history to receive this distinguished tribute.
Shaquille O’Neal Becomes First Player to Have Jersey Retired by the Orlando Magic
While contemplating who truly placed the Orlando Magic on the NBA map, the answer, according to the CEO Alex Martins, is none other than the big man himself, Shaquille O’Neal. The decision to retire O’Neal’s jersey is a testament to the impact he made on the Magic during his four-season tenure from 1992-1996. O’Neal’s presence, both on and off the court, undeniably played a pivotal role in elevating the franchise to unprecedented heights.
The accolades that O’Neal has bagged for the team during his time there, including 4 NBA All-Star selections, an NBA Rookie of the Year award, and leading the team to the NBA Finals in 1995, will forever remain history. The gentle giant standing at 7 feet 1 inch, who once emerged as the first overall pick for the Orlando Magic in the 1992 NBA Draft, is set to be the franchise’s inaugural player to receive this distinguished honor at the Kia Center.
The forthcoming ceremony, a postgame affair after the Magic take on the Oklahoma City Thunder, is a fitting tribute to the player whose legacy continues to resonate within the organization and the hearts of basketball enthusiasts all around the world event to this date.
O’Neal Joins Exclusive Club as Third Player Honored by Three Teams
In the NBA, only a few accolades shine brighter than the retirement of a player’s jersey by a team, which is a symbol of enduring greatness. However, O’Neal is deemed dignified to transcend even this grand honor, as he suits up to join an exclusive club that boasts of only three members in the history of the entire NBA.
Beyond the stats the already speaking volumes of Shaq’s achievement for the Orlando Magic; February 13th will be the day that the team honor him back by hanging O’Neal’s No. 32 jersey up high, marking it, the third time ever that a team has raised his number to the rafters.
Shaq has previously been honored by the Los Angeles Lakers by retiring his No. 34 jersey for his 1996-2004 tenure followed by the Miami Heats by retiring his No. 32 jersey for his tenure there form 2004-2008. This unprecedented honor aligns him with the legend Wilt Chamberlain, the only other player to receive such recognition from three former teams, the Golden State Warriors, the Philadelphia Sixers and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Another fascinating spark to the occasion, is the fact that this puts Shaq in parallel with another basketball luminary: Pete Maravich. Maravich, who is famously known as “Pistol Pete,” achieved the rare distinction of also having his number retired by three teams; the New Orleans Pelicans, the Utah Jazz and the Atlanta Hawks.
Can you name a few other accolades that the dominant big man has achieved during his entire tenure in the NBA? Let us know in the comments down below!
