For us, it is always news when a player’s jersey is retired. The player in question is usually a Hall of Famer, or one who had significant impact on a franchise, so when it happens we always take notice; especially when it happens in a team as storied as the Los Angeles Lakers.
Tonight in L.A., the charismatic Shaquille O’Neal will have his number 34 retired by the Lakers organization where he was a member of three NBA championship teams. Shaq’s best years were in Los Angeles, though the powerful center is equally remembered for the feud he had with fellow superstar, Kobe Bryant. It culminated with Shaq moving to Miami, as the two could not co-exist.
O’Neil joins elite company and becomes the 9th man to have his jersey retired by the Lakers. That group is Wilt Chamberlain (13), Elgin Baylor (22), Gail Goodrich (25), Magic Johnson (32), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (33), James Worthy (42), Jerry West (44) and Jamaal Wilkes (52).
Eventually (though admittedly a couple of years away) we hope to look at every franchise of the big four North American sports with their greatest All time players. A player like Shaq would likely be on the list of multiple teams.
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