On April 2, 2013, Shaquille O'Neal's number will be retired by the Los Angeles Lakers and rightfully so. O'Neal brought the Laker franchise back to prominence with current Laker all-star Kobe Bryant while playing in LA from 1996-2004. In that span, O'Neal helped the Lakers to 4 NBA Finals, winning 3 consecutive titles and Finals MVP's, before losing the fourth to the Pistons. On a personal note, Shaq also won 2 NBA MVP's in that span, 2 all-star MVP's and averaged 27 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game as a Laker. And yes, he actually averaged those numbers over an 8 year period. It would have been nice to see him in "purple and gold" for the rest of his career, but a dispute with then teammate Kobe Bryant led to a sour and premature ending to his Laker tenure.
Is there a bigger (no pun intended) legend than Shaq? Answer no. Self proclaimed, "Shaq Diesel," "The Big Daddy," "Shaq Fu," "Superman," "The Big Shaqtus," and "The Big Aristotle," Shaq Daddy has always been the center of the media. He has cursed on live TV and not cared, performed on stage ripping Kobe when he won a title in Miami after being traded and not cared, and on top of that, he talked smack and ALWAYS backed it up. Shaq was also arguably one of the more dominant players to ever play the game. Measuring at 7'1" and 325 pounds, he was impossible to move, and despite his large stature, he was also quick. Troubled defenders were hit with his "Black Tornado" (Shaq's nickname for his drop step) and all they could then do was watch him dunk ferociously. This is the first of many honors coming Shaq's way, and it is only a matter of time before we see this "Big Fella" in the Hall of Fame.
One Last Thing: What happens when Kobe retires? The Lakers obviously have to retire his number as well, but which one will they choose? Kobe wore #8 for his first 10 seasons in the league and has worn #24 since. So does he get two jerseys retired? Or like one jersey with two numbers? I haven't read the official rulebook on retired numbers yet even though I keep telling myself that I will. If anyone knows what happens, let me know. Also one final question. When Kobe's jersey goes up, I'm assuming he'll be the next after Shaq, does it go up right next to Shaq's? Awkward.
Top 10 Shaquille O'Neal Quotes
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