Shaquille O'Neal's No. 32 jersey is 1st to be retired by Magic

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Shaquille O’Neal was Orlando’s first in lots of ways. First No. 1 overall draft pick. First player to make an All-Star team in a Magic uniform. First rookie of the year. First All-NBA selection. And the first big-time superstar to leave the franchise.

He figured that the last part might be the one to cost him.

O’Neal never imagined his jersey would be hoisted to the rafters of the Magic’s arena. However, he was mistaken. On Tuesday night, Orlando retired O’Neal’s No. 32 – a first for the team and its initial star. Despite the Magic’s loss to Oklahoma City, the majority of fans remained for the postgame ceremony.

“You know, there’s an old saying: Never forget where you come from,” O’Neal said. “And my professional career started here. I’ve been living here mostly all my life. The fans have been hospitable. The people have been very, very hospitable. I never thought this day would happen.”

The Magic, in their 35th season, selected O’Neal as their No. 1 overall draft in 1992. They have never retired a number for any player before, but chose their anniversary season to do so. Several of O’Neal’s ex-team members from Orlando were present on Tuesday night, such as Penny Hardaway, Dennis Scott, and Nick Anderson. During the ceremony, O’Neal invited Anderson to the lectern, stating that he should have been the first to have his jersey retired by the Magic.

“There’s no one more deserving to be the first than Shaq,” Magic CEO Alex Martins said. “Shaq put the Orlando Magic on the map. And the foundation of his Hall of Fame career started right here in Orlando.”

#32 to the rafters!@SHAQ x @OrlandoMagic pic.twitter.com/mPo70j28Fd

— NBA (@NBA) February 14, 2024

O’Neal, whose No. 34 jersey was retired by the Los Angeles Lakers and No. 32 by the Miami Heat, is the third player to be honored with jersey retirement by three teams, alongside Wilt Chamberlain and Pete Maravich.

The Philadelphia 76ers, Golden State Warriors, and the Lakers have all retired Chamberlain’s No. 13. Maravich’s No. 44 was retired by the Atlanta Hawks, and his No. 7 was retired by both the Utah Jazz and the New Orleans Pelicans, despite him never having played for the latter. This is because he played for the Jazz in New Orleans and attended LSU.

“It means that every franchise you played for, they enjoyed you,” O’Neal said. “The fans enjoyed you. The people enjoyed you. They appreciated your hard work.”

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Clyde Drexler, Julius Erving, Elvin Hayes, Bob Lanier, Moses Malone, Earl Monroe, Dikembe Mutombo, Oscar Robertson, Nate Thurmond, and Charles Barkley are the 11 players who have had their jerseys retired by two franchises they played for. Barkley, along with O’Neal, is part of the award-winning team on Turner Sports’ “Inside The NBA” program.

Numerous players have received honor from multiple teams or in various forms. For example, Bill Russell’s No. 6 was retired by Boston and following his death, it was retired across the league by Commissioner Adam Silver. Despite never playing in Miami, Michael Jordan’s No. 23 is retired there. Kobe Bryant is another notable player, with the Lakers retiring both his numbers, 8 and 24.

In their initial three seasons, the Magic held a record of 70-176. However, upon acquiring O’Neal, their fortunes changed. In his debut season, they achieved a 41-41 record, followed by a 50-32 record and the team’s first playoff appearance in his second year. His third season saw them at 57-25, complete with a journey to the NBA Finals in 1994-95. In O’Neal’s fourth and last season with Orlando, they secured a record of 60-22, which still stands as the franchise’s highest number of victories.

O’Neal was seated next to center court on a throne during the ceremony, a throne so large it made the 7-footer seem small. Anecdotes were shared, including one about O’Neal’s arrival in the city famous for Walt Disney World, wearing Mickey Mouse ears, which the crowd appeared to enjoy greatly. O’Neal cherished every moment of it.

About an hour after the game ended, the banner was raised in a darkened arena, accompanied by a spectacle of fireworks.

“Orlando will forever hold a special place in my heart. There’s nowhere else I would have preferred to kick-start my career,” O’Neal expressed, his words frequently eclipsed by enthusiastic applause.

O’Neal acquired his professional skills in Orlando. In his initial months in the city, he claimed to have resided in an airport hotel with his whole family. It was not until Scott advised him to purchase a house that O’Neal mentioned he had accumulated a hotel bill of $900,000.

O’Neal openly expresses the special significance of his latest jersey retirement, having previously experienced this honor at LSU and three NBA clubs. He talks about his time in Orlando with great respect.

“Truthfully speaking, this will probably be the most impressive one,” O’Neal said.

After the 1995-96 season, O’Neal moved from Orlando to the Lakers. He had participated in 295 regular-season games with the Magic. Despite this, he still ranks sixth on the team’s all-time scoring list, with the five players above him having played at least double the number of games for Orlando. Additionally, he holds the third position on the Magic’s all-time rebound list.

“O’Neal said, “This is where it all began.””

And it’s where his number will hold influence.