The Magic retire Shaquille O’Neal’s jersey, making him the first player in franchise history to do so

Along with Wilt Chamberlain and Pete Maravich, O’Neal is the third player to have his jersey retired by three different teams. His numbers 34 and 32 are retired by the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat, respectively.
In many respects, Shaquille O’Neal was Orlando’s first. first overall draft choice, ranked #1. The first Magic player to be selected for an All-Star team. The season’s first rookie. initial NBA All-Star choice. and the first major celebrity to quit the team.
That latter portion is what he thought may be costly.

O’Neal had no idea that the Magic would hoist his jersey to the arena’s ceiling. He was mistaken, though, as Orlando retired O’Neal’s No. 32 on Tuesday night, marking both a franchise first and a first for the team.

O’Neal remarked, “You know, there’s an old saying: never forget where you come from.” And this is where my professional career began. I’ve spent the majority of my life here. The supporters have been kind. The hospitality of the locals has been extraordinary. I never imagined that today would arrive.
O’Neal was selected by the 35-year-old Magic as the first overall pick in 1992. Although they’ve never retired a player’s number, they felt that their anniversary season was the appropriate moment.

Shaq is the only one who deserves to be the first, according to Magic CEO Alex Martins. “Shaq made the Orlando Magic famous.” And it was in Orlando that his Hall of Fame career got its start.

Along with Wilt Chamberlain and Pete Maravich, O’Neal is the third player to have his jersey retired by three different teams. His numbers 34 and 32 are retired by the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat, respectively.

The Philadelphia 76ers, Golden State Warriors, and Lakers have retired Chamberlain’s No. 13. Maravich never played for the Atlanta Hawks, but his No. 44 and No. 7 have been retired by the Utah Jazz and the New Orleans Pelicans, respectively. He played for the Jazz and attended LSU, so his number is retired in New Orleans.

According to O’Neal, “it means that every franchise you played for, they enjoyed you.” “You were enjoyed by the fans. You were liked by the people. They were grateful for your diligence.

Eleven players have had their jerseys retired by two of the teams they played for: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Clyde Drexler, Julius Erving, Elvin Hayes, Bob Lanier, Moses Malone, Earl Monroe, Dikembe Mutombo, Oscar Robertson, Nate Thurmond, and Charles Barkley. Barkley and O’Neal are also members of Turner Sports’ “Inside The NBA” cast, which has won numerous awards.

Numerous more players have received honors from several teams or in various contexts. Following the Hall of Famer’s passing, Commissioner Adam Silver retired Bill Russell’s No. 6 for the entire league, with Boston being the first team to do so. Although he never played there, Miami retired Michael Jordan’s No. 23 jersey. The Lakers retired Kobe Bryant’s numbers eight and twenty-four.

Following O’Neal’s acquisition, the Magic finished 70-176 in their first three seasons, 50-32 in his second season and made their first playoff appearance, 57-25 in 1994–95 and 60-22, still the franchise record for wins, in his fourth and final season with Orlando.

Orlando taught O’Neal how to be a pro. He claimed that he and his family spent the first few months of their stay in the city staying in an airport hotel. When Dennis Scott finally convinced O’Neal that he needed to purchase a home, O’Neal claimed to have accrued a $900,000 hotel bill.

Speaking reverently about his time in Orlando, O’Neal has now experienced four jersey retirements (LSU, three NBA franchises, and himself) and he made no secret of the significance of this one.
O’Neal remarked, “To be honest, this will probably be the most impressive one.”

After playing 295 regular-season games for the Magic, O’Neal left Orlando to join the Lakers in 1995–96. He is still third all-time in rebounds with the Magic, but he is still sixth on the team’s all-time scoring chart (four of the five players ahead of him played in at least twice as many games for Orlando).

O’Neal remarked, “This is where it all started.”
And it’s where his phone number fluctuates.