Magic will retire jersey No. 32 in honor of Shaquille O’Neal
In celebration of their 35th anniversary season, the Magic will officially retire jersey No. 32 in honor of Shaquille O’Neal, it was announced Thursday.
O’Neal, who serves as an analyst on the award-winning TV show “Inside The NBA” on TNT, becomes the first player in franchise history to have his number retired.
The No. 32 will be retired following the Magic’s home game against Oklahoma City on Feb. 13 at Kia Center, which is Orlando‘s lone national TV appearance this season (TNT, 7:30).
“When someone asks who was the first player to officially put the Orlando Magic on the map, the answer is simple — Shaquille O’Neal,” Magic CEO Alex Martins said in a statement. “He took this franchise to new heights, both on and off the court, and his legacy is still felt within our organization today.”
Added Magic Chairman Dan DeVos said: “Through his dominating play, larger-than-life personality, and generous contributions to The City Beautiful, Shaquille O’Neal had a transformational impact on this team and this town. Our family and the entire franchise couldn’t be more pleased for Shaquille to receive this well-deserved honor, further cementing his enduring legacy here in Orlando as we collectively look back on his tremendous accomplishments in a Magic uniform.”
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O’Neal was named an NBA All-Star four times as a member of the Magic (1992-96), named to the All-NBA Second Team once (’94-95) and All-NBA Third Team twice (’93-94, ’95-96).
He also was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in ’92-’93 and was the NBA’s Rookie of the Year after the Magic drafted No. 1 overall.
O’Neal still ranks among the franchise’s all-time leaders in several categories, including blocked shots (second, 824), rebounding (third, 3,691), free throws made (third, 1,602), field goals made (fourth, 3,208) and points scored (sixth, 8,019). His 27.2 points per game average is the second-highest in team history and he helped Orlando reach the 1995 NBA Finals.
He was inducted into the Magic Hall of Fame in 2015 and was elected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in ’16. He was named to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team in October 2021.
Tickets to attend the Feb. 13 contest between the Magic and Thunder can be purchased through OrlandoMagic.com or by calling 1-800-4-NBATIX.
