Miami Heat choose Lakers game for Shaquille O´Neal´s jersey retirement

The Miami Heat will retire Shaquille O’Neal’s No. 32 jersey during a ceremony on Dec. 22, when the team hosts the Los Angeles Lakers.

O’Neal played with Miami for three full seasons and half of another from 2004-08. Along with Dwyane Wade, O’Neal led the Heat to the NBA championship in 2006, when they beat the Dallas Mavericks in six games for the first title in franchise history.

It’s appropriate for the Heat to have chosen their game against the Lakers to honor O’Neal. He played in L.A. for eight seasons, winning three NBA titles there, before being traded to Miami following the 2003-04 season. O’Neal entered the NBA as the No. 1 overall pick in the 1992 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic, for whom the former LSU star played four seasons.

Just announced: The HEAT will retire @SHAQ‘s no. 32 jersey on December 22 vs. the Lakers. https://t.co/1qPiNM19Y4 pic.twitter.com/UgybrjRoJw

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) November 21, 2016

The Lakers retired O’Neal’s No. 34 jersey in 2013.