Shaquille O’Neal didn’t quite play four full seasons in Miami as a member of the Heat, but some people within the organization think he did enough to have his number 32 jersey retired by the organization. Sure, Shaq played a key role in the Heat winning the 2006 NBA Finals, but make no mistake, that was Dwyane Wade’s team. Shaq was a supporting player. That’s why it’s somewhat surprising that his jersey will be sent up to the rafters. Nonetheless, congratulations Big Fella.
This almost makes it a certainty that Miami will also retire LeBron’s #6 eventually. Right?
The HEAT announced today that they will retire Shaquille O’Neal’s No. 32 jersey in a ceremony at the beginning of the 2016-17 season. O’Neal will become the third HEAT player to have his jersey retired, joining HEAT greats Alonzo Mourning and Tim Hardaway.
“Shaquille O’Neal is one of the truly elite players in the history of the game and one of the greatest players to ever wear a HEAT uniform,” said HEAT President Pat Riley. “He took us to another level as a basketball franchise while leading us to our first NBA championship. Retiring his number in the rafters, along with HEAT greats Alonzo Mourning and Tim Hardaway, is something we are very proud of.”
H/T: nba.com
