Shaquille O'Neal: Should the Los Angeles Lakers Retire His Jersey?
Shaquille O'Neal retired as a member of the Boston Celtics, but he's about to become immortalized for the Los Angeles Lakers.
O'Neal, who appeared on Dan Patrick's Radio Show on Tuesday, revealed that the Lakers' leading man, Jerry Buss, phoned the center on the day he announced his retirement to promise that the team would retire O'Neal's jersey in Los Angeles.
This isn't something that Buss just decided to do on a whim, but rather re-enforces a previous notion that was originally revealed just after O'Neal retired via video through his personal Twitter account.
Despite the obvious awkward terms on which O'Neal left Los Angeles, the dominant center spent eight seasons with the team, and was essential in the three straight championship victories that the Lakers secured from 1999 to 2002.
Downright dominant during his tenure with Los Angeles, O'Neal's regular season averages were absolutely ridiculous: 27.0 points, 11.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.5 blocks.
Here are the jerseys that O'Neal's would join hanging in the rafters if the Lakers carry out the plan and honor him (via ESPN Los Angeles):
Wilt Chamberlain (No. 13), Elgin Baylor (No. 22), Gail Goodrich (No. 25), Earvin "Magic" Johnson (No. 32), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (No. 33), James Worthy (No. 42) and Jerry West (No. 44).
Obviously, that is quite prestigious company for O'Neal, and some fans of the team have questioned whether or not the center belongs among them.
Let's set bias aside and look solely at O'Neal's contributions to the team during his tenure rather than how it ended with the infamous feud between he and franchise icon Kobe Bryant.
The Lakers were O'Neal's team long before Bryant's, and those that don't believe he belongs among the Lakers' legends need to re-evaluate the perception of why the franchise was able to achieve three straight championships.
Outside of the final championship season where Bryant led the team in scoring, O'Neal was the primary source of offense on the roster from 1999 to 2001, and there's no doubt that the Lakers wouldn't have been able to secure a title without him.
It doesn't matter that O'Neal played with Orlando prior, or even that he went on to play in Miami, Phoenix, Cleveland and Boston.
He spent the best seasons of his career with the Lakers, and there's no doubt that No. 34 belongs hanging in Staples Center as a tribute to one of the greatest centers that has ever played the game.
