Shaq Talks Orlando Magic Jersey Retirement: ‘Never thought this day would happen’

Shaq Talks Orlando Magic Jersey Retirement: ‘Never thought this day would happen’

Normally it’s CarMax one on one but today it’s CarMax one of one Shaq’s magic career it was only four seasons but in one of those Seasons when you beat Michael Jordan in the playoffs and have the rest of this it’s a heck of a run four-time All-Star Rookie of the

Year went to the finals against the Rockets two broken backboards which I think we’ve all seen thousands of times and 27 12 and three is pretty darn special and we are joined by him now Shaquille O’Neal at his only fitting that your number 32 goes to the rafters

32 years after you were drafted by this team I’m just curious brother you’re walking around Orlando what memories are coming back to you well they had a Ring of Honor uh ceremony a couple years ago I thought that was to the extent of you know them recognizing what I’ve done on

Land I was not uh expecting this to be one of three players that have your jersey retired in three different definitely honor I had two wishes today three wish my father would be here with would wish Mr DeVos was here wish my baby sister would be here but you know I

Was a 20y old kid uh my my best friend Dennis Scott taught me how to be a professional it was funny I stayed in the Airport Hilton for 45 days because I didn’t know what a realtor was I didn’t know how to buy a house I didn’t know

How to buy apartment my bill was 900 60,000 cuz it was me and my whole family yeah we stayed in the Airport Hilton and these sc$ Hour in town picked me up introduced me to a realtor showed me how to be a professional showed me where to

Go show me how to handle certain situations so uh I owe a lot to this organization I wouldn’t have wanted to I wouldn’t want to have started my career anywhere else but you know for them to to of my jersey I you know what crazy I I would have went with Nick Anderson

First you know Nick Anderson does a lot for for the community you know he he the first player uh you know the first big name here in Orlando and him and D Scott and Scott scy you know they sacrificed a lot when I came here they turned the

Rings over to a 20y old kid and then we brought penny a we was on our way but I would have went with our Nickerson Shaq man VC here being a Florida boy obviously when the magic got here watching your dominance the things that you’ve done over the years I rooted

For the magic I don’t know if you remember Nick you spoke of used to come stop trying to sound professional and ask the damn question Vince moving your hands and stuff just ask the question Vin jeez listen us to you can’t be like this right holy

but you used to come pick me up and play and you know obviously you’ve always been a person uh you know obviously my neighbor I still don’t won’t forgive you for toilet paper in my house but what’s it what’s it like man I know what it what’s it like for me

Hearing that your jersey is going up in the Raptors what’s it like for you man like you know I mean it’s this is forever man out of all the ceremonies out of all all all the ceremonies this is the most exciting and let me tell you

Why at LSU I knew was going to happen because you know the the dean uh Joe Dean at the time said hey man you’re one of our greatest players if you come back and get your degree you’re going to retire your J so I knew it was going to

Happen the Lakers I kind of forced it to happen because I wanted my name to be up there Orlando me playing for here playing here for years going to the finals once going to the Ring of ceremony and that being it and nobody else having their jerseyy time I never

Thought this day would happen it means a lot it’s a lot of great players that that played here including You Vince uh gr Hill pen hardeight TM Nick D Scott so you know to to to be the first is definitely an honor Shaq Jamal we always talk about you being a one-on-one and

The most dominant ever how would you compare your Orlando Magic vers version of yourself to the other dominant versions the Laker version obviously and the heat version how’s Orlando Magic version compare well here I was 20 I was slim I ran the court now when I got to

La uh you know I had to learn how to slow down at times I I was full speed and I would kind of you know get get tired in the four quarter so you know talking to guys like Dominique like you know how always talk about guys should

Have seven points a quarter one time playing against Dominique and I was trying to score real early he was like big fell you need to slow it down seven points a quarter so I had to learn how to Pace on stuff but when I was here I I

Was flying I was running cuz I had a point guard that was super super unselfish you know he he would definitely look for you Penny hard about he would look for you before look for himself so you know in order to stay away from the double and triple teams I

Tried to out run guys and get down Court cuz I know Penny was going to find me I know D Scott was going to find me when I went to other places I had to you know slow it down a little bit Shaq cace Parker here oh my I know

Who you’re who you are queen Candace congratulations first and foremost it’s so welld deserved I think uh an entire generation grew up watching you just Dominate and I think as a big at that time being able to run the floor do the things you did break backboards

Play defense switch out handle the rock let me ask you this one why did you pick number 32 to wear and two you think Orlando Magic Shack would have been running transition in today’s game and dising assistent in ways that we’re seeing Giannis do so to answer your

First question coming up Patrick y was my favorite player War 33 in high school 33 LSU I wanted to be the next Patrick year so when I get to Orlando I was promised 33 but there was a player here named Terry cat and when I came to the

Lock Crew He said big fella I’m not giving up my my my jersey unless you give me 150,000 cash so Orlando wasn’t paying anything so I definitely didn’t have the 150,000 cash back then so I was like you know what I’ll just take 32 I’m only making 40 million for 7 years I

Don’t have 150,000 so I I I just wore 32 but I was upset but I can remember the time where I wasn’t talked about nobody knew who I was my mother Dr Lil on’ there said this to me and it still R rings with me today make him remember your name so every

Time I played I wanted to put on the show I wanted people to scream my name and I wanted to be recognized as one of the most dominant big men ever Shaq you hear from us all the time we do have a message from one of your former

Teammates he had to get him some words take a listen yo big fell this is Penny man I just want to say from me to you brother I love you I thank you for everything that you did for me without you I wouldn’t I wouldn’t have been in

Orlando originally to be able to play with you man to have my game go to another level the first team all NBAs because of you going to the finals in my early career putting me on the map in the NBA all those things man how much better you made me I’m forever indebted

And grateful to you and congratulations on your jersey retirement only way to do it man congrats there you go big fell thank you all right we’re going to hear sack on the call Shaq have a great game don’t mess up Shaq yeah don’t mess up up pressure stop

Mo and Vin stop moving your damn hands when you talk you making me nervous hey tell that chair got tell that chair got lighter tell that chair got lighter see you Shaq uh we’ll hear from Shaq Stan Van gundi and our guy Kevin harling coming up next

Shaq talks to the NBA on TNT pregame crew on the call from Orlando ahead of his Magic jersey retirement night.

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