ORLANDO, Fla. -- Shaquille O'Neal was Orlando's first in lots of ways. First No. 1 overall draft pick. First player to make an All-Star team in aO'Neal never thought that the Magic would raise his jersey to the rafters of their arena. But he was wrong, and Tuesday night, Orlando retired O'Neal's No. 32 -- another first for the team and its first star.
The Magic, who are celebrating their 35th season, drafted O'Neal No. 1 overall in 1992. They've never retired a number for a player, but decided their anniversary season was the right time. Many of O'Neal's former Orlando teammates were there Tuesday night, including Penny Hardaway, Dennis Scott and Nick Anderson. O'Neal brought Anderson to the lectern at one point in the ceremony, telling him he should have been the first to get the jersey retirement from the Magic.
Shaquille O'Neal -- who has No. 34 retired by the Lakers and No. 32 retired by the Heat -- is the third player to have his jersey retired by three franchises, joining Wilt Chamberlain and Pete Maravich. , Oscar Robertson, Nate Thurmond and Charles Barkley -- to have jerseys retired by two franchises for whom they played. Barkley, like O'Neal, is part of the award-winning cast of Turner Sports'"Inside The NBA" program.
The ceremony had O'Neal seated adjacent to center court on a throne, one big enough to make the 7-footer seem small. The stories flowed -- the one about O'Neal arriving in the city known for Walt Disney World wearing Mickey Mouse ears seemed to delight the crowd -- and O'Neal savored them all.
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