On April 2, during halftime of the Lakers' game against the Dallas Mavericks, O'Neal will get his No. 34 retired.
O'Neal retired last June after a 19-year career. In the eight seasons he spent in Los Angeles from 1996-2004, the Lakers made the Finals four times, winning three championships, and O'Neal led the league in scoring while being named regular-season MVP in 1999-2000.
O'Neal will be the ninth player in Lakers franchise history to have his jersey retired, joining Wilt Chamberlain (No. 13), Elgin Baylor (No. 22), Gail Goodrich (No. 25), Johnson (No. 32), Abdul-Jabbar (No. 33), James Worthy (No. 42), West (No. 44) and Wilkes (No. 52).
The relationship between O'Neal and the Lakers soured before he was traded to the Miami Heat in 2004. O'Neal butted heads with Kobe Bryant and publicly demanded a lucrative extension that never was offered. Time, however, has healed those wounds.
"Shaq had a long and amazing career, with a huge impact both on and off the court," Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss said in a statement when O'Neal retired. "His contributions were significant to the entire NBA, but we specifically appreciate what he did with and what he meant to the Lakers during his eight years with us. We have three championships that we wouldn't have won without him, and we will forever be grateful for his significant contributions to those teams."
Source
O'Neal retired last June after a 19-year career. In the eight seasons he spent in Los Angeles from 1996-2004, the Lakers made the Finals four times, winning three championships, and O'Neal led the league in scoring while being named regular-season MVP in 1999-2000.
O'Neal will be the ninth player in Lakers franchise history to have his jersey retired, joining Wilt Chamberlain (No. 13), Elgin Baylor (No. 22), Gail Goodrich (No. 25), Johnson (No. 32), Abdul-Jabbar (No. 33), James Worthy (No. 42), West (No. 44) and Wilkes (No. 52).
The relationship between O'Neal and the Lakers soured before he was traded to the Miami Heat in 2004. O'Neal butted heads with Kobe Bryant and publicly demanded a lucrative extension that never was offered. Time, however, has healed those wounds.
"Shaq had a long and amazing career, with a huge impact both on and off the court," Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss said in a statement when O'Neal retired. "His contributions were significant to the entire NBA, but we specifically appreciate what he did with and what he meant to the Lakers during his eight years with us. We have three championships that we wouldn't have won without him, and we will forever be grateful for his significant contributions to those teams."
Source
Comment