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Orlando Magic honored their star player Shaquille O’Neal by retiring his iconic jersey number #32 in a grand ceremony. Neal was Orlando’s number one in many ways; be it being their First No.1 overall draft pick or to be their first player to be in the All-Star team. Apart from this, the Hall of Famer was Orlando’s first rookie of the year and their first All-NBA selection. On Tuesday night, he became the first Orlando player to have his jersey retired.
The 51-year-old bid farewell to his franchise around two decades ago, and the team decided to honor their superstar during the Magic’s 35th anniversary season. The ceremony took place after the game night between Magic and the Oklahoma City Thunders, where the formers fell 113-127 to their opponents.
I never thought this day would happen: Shaquille O’Neal during jersey retirement ceremony
The former NBA player said he never thought the day would come when his franchise would retire his jersey. He said, “You know, there’s an old saying: never forget where you come from. 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.” During the ceremony, Shaq was also presented with the tailor-made Magic jacket.
Apart from him, Orleans Magic CEO Alex Martins said, “There’s no one more deserving to be the first than Shaq. Shaq put the Orlando Magic on the map. And the foundation of his Hall of Fame career started right here in Orlando.” O’Neal became the third player after Wilt Chamberlain and Pete Maravich to have his jersey retired by three franchises after the LA Lakers retired his #34 jersey and the Miami Heat retired his number 32 jersey.
