The Miami Heat will retire Shaquille O’Neal’s number 32 next season, the team announced today.
From the official statement at Heat.com:
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.
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“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.”
Shaq’s number retirement should not come as a surprise; O’neal did, after all, co-lead the team to its first championship in franchise history.
O’Neal will become the third player to have his number retired by the Heat(Alonzo Mourning, Tim Hardaway). Dwyane Wade and likely LeBron James will likely be the next to have their numbers retired by the Heat.
Shaq played in Miami for 4 years, averaging 18.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game while shooting 59.29% from the field during that span.
Miami is the second team to retire Shaq’s jersey; the Los Angeles Lakers retired his number 34 in 2013.
