Dwyane Wade Reacts To Shaquille O'Neal Jersey Retirement With Orlando Magic

The Orlando Magic retired Shaquille O'Neal's No. 32 jersey during Tuesday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder

Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O'Neal were part of the Miami Heat's first title team in 2006. 

Before O'Neal's days as a champion with the Heat and Los Angeles Lakers, he was a dominant force for the Orlando Magic.

On Tuesday, O'Neal finally got the respect he deserved from the Magic organization. His No. 32 was retired during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

His former teammate was among those to congratulate him. Wade took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to show his appreciation. 

Wade simply wrote: "Legend," followed by a salute and fire emojis. 

The Heat defeated the Dallas Mavericks in the 2006 NBA Finals a season after O'Neal's arrival in Miami. He played one more year with the Heat before stops with the Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics. 

Legend 🫡🔥 https://t.co/adpgs9eQyr

— DWade (@DwyaneWade) February 14, 2024

O'Neal became the third player in league history to have his jersey retired by three teams. His number also hangs in the rafters of the arenas for the Miami Heat and Lakers. He helped both of those teams win titles. The other players are Wilt Chamberlain (Lakers, Golden State Warriors and Philadelphia 76ers) and Pete Maravich (Atlanta Hawks, Utah Jazz and New Orleans Pelicans).

"You know, there's an old saying: never forget where you come from," O'Neal said. "And my professional career started here. I've been living here mostly all my life. The fans have been hospitable. The people have been very, very hospitable. I never thought this day would happen."

O'Neal played for the Magic from 1992-96, leading them to the 1995 NBA Finals. He is still sixth on the franchise's all-time scoring list.

"It means that every franchise you played for, they enjoyed you," O'Neal said. "The fans enjoyed you. The people enjoyed you. They appreciated your hard work ... There's no other place I would have wanted to start my career," said O'Neal, whose words were often drowned out by cheers. "Orlando will always have a special place in my heart."

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Shandel Richardson covers the Miami Heat for Inside The Heat, a Fan Nation channel for Sports Illustrated. He has covered the NBA since 2010.

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