The four-time NBA champion, Shaquille O’Neal, has become the first player of the Orlando Magic to be honored with the retirement of his jersey, the No. 32.
During his retirement ceremony, O’Neal concluded by telling the DeVos family, the Magic Club’s owners, that he would be with them whenever they wanted him to.
The fifteen-time NBA All-Star shared, “To the DeVos family: Whenever you want me to quit TNT and come back home, you give me a call. I’ll be here in an instant.”
Shaq at his Magic jersey retirement ceremony:
"To the DeVos family, whenever you want me to quit TNT and come back home, you give me a call."
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) February 14, 2024
O’Neal was selected in the 1992 NBA Draft in the first round as the first overall pick by the Orlando Magic. He also became the first player who was in his first week in the league to become Player of the Week.
He played for the Magic squad from 1992 to 1996 and then went on to join the Los Angeles Lakers. With the Lakers, he was from 1996 to 2004. The Miami Heat squad was his next destination and with them, he played from 2004 to 2008.
The three-time NBA Finals MVP went on to join three more teams; the Phoenix Suns, and the Cleveland Cavaliers, and his last squad was the Boston Celtics. With his incredible skill set, O’Neal was fundamental when the Magic squad reached the NBA Finals in 1995.
The Magic Club has been owned by the DeVos family since 1991. The patriarch, Richard DeVos, who was also the co-founder of Amway, passed away in 2018. The family, however, still has the club’s ownership.
In 2016, O’Neal was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. A year later, he was elected to the FIBA Hall of Fame as well. O’Neal has become one of the greatest players in the league and in 2021, he was also named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.
