The Orlando Magic retired the
jersey of Hall-of-Fame center Shaquille O’Neal in a ceremony on
Tuesday night at the Kia Center in
Orlando. This is the
first jersey retirement in Orlando’s franchise history.
Shaq’s jersey is officially retired in
Orlando 👏 pic.twitter.com/6X5luWF2cp— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA)
February 14, 2024
O’Neal, selected No. 1 overall
by the Magic in 1992, was the first superstar to set foot in
Orlando. He led the team to its first NBA Finals appearance and his
five seasons with the Magic included plenty of highlight-reel plays
and multiple All-Star appearances.
“Out of all the ceremonies, this
is the most exciting,” O’Neal said. “At LSU, I knew it was going to
happen. The Lakers, I kind of forced it to happen. Now, in Orlando,
I never thought this day would happen. To be the first is
definitely an honor.”
This moment marks a historic
achievement for O’Neal as he becomes the fourth NBA player to have
his jersey retired by three different franchises, joining an elite
list that features all-time greats Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain
and Pete Maravich. “The Big Diesel” also has his jersey retired by
the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat after he led them to
championships.
Watch the full ceremony
below:
