About Damn Time: After Nearly 30 Years The Orlando Magic Are Finally Going To Retire Shaq's Number

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Shaq has been around for so long and has had so many phases in both his playing and post-playing career, I feel like the current generation of NBA fans don't even think of Orlando Magic Shaq when talking about him. Granted he played there over 30 years ago, but we should never forget what an unstoppable force he was back then. To be that fast, athletic and dominant at his size didn't make any goddamn sense

The Magic became a franchise in 1989-90, got Shaq in 1992-93, and they were playing in the Finals by 1994-95. He certainly didn't do it alone, guys like Penny Hardaway, Horace Grant, Nick Anderson, Dennis Scott, Darrell Armstrong etc were all pretty awesome during that time, but they certainly weren't Shaq. 

A cool 27.0/12.5/2.4 on 58% in his 4 seasons in ORL, it took just 295 games for him to be 3rd all time in rebounds, and 6th in points. He's their all time leader in blocks per game at 2.8 and PER. It's not exactly crazy to suggest he had a career in ORL worthy of going up to their rafters. In fact, the Magic not coughing up the money to pay Shaq in free agency is one of the biggest NBA "what ifs" we have. They cheaped out, he went to LA, and the rest is history.

For their entire existence, the Magic have only "retired" a number in two instances. The first is the #6 for Bill Russell which every NBA team did, and then they have #6 up there again for their fans. They've never done it for a player who actually played for them, so to me, Shaq is a great place to start. Hopefully, this leads to guys like Penny and Dwight also getting the nod which they so rightfully deserve considering what they meant to that franchise. Especially Dwight. I get starting with Shaq, but you could make the case that Dwight actually did more as a member of the Magic. He made a Finals just like Shaq and is all over the franchise record books.

Now that the Magic are doing this, it leaves just the Raptors and Clippers as the only franchises left that don't have a retired number. I still can't believe the Raptors haven't done it yet for Vince Carter, even with how that whole thing ended. Maybe once he gets into the HOF this year they'll finally cave. Nothing for Chris Bosh seems a little crazy too.