Shaquille O’Neal joins the Cleveland Cavaliers this season on a mission for his fifth NBA championship. Five is also the number of teams that Shaq has played for during his career. His almost journey-man like career presents an interesting situation: Will Shaq become the greatest player in NBA history to not have his jersey number retired by any team
According to Wikipedia, the Lakers have not reissued the number 34 since Shaq’s departure from the team in 2004. This insinuates the Lakers intend to retire Shaq’s number once his career is over. But say Shaq runs his mouth some more about Kobe. Say he wins the title this year with Cleveland, and then publicly takes shots at the Lakers organization (definitely possible, especially in the case of a Cavaliers-Lakers finals). If Shaq ripped the organization, and they decide, “Screw it, we’re not honoring this guy,” where does this leave Shaq?
Orlando won’t retire his number 32. He only played three and a half seasons in Miami, and while he won a championship, Shaq didn’t leave the team on the best terms, so 32 almost certainly won’t be in the rafters in Miami either. Phoenix? No.
This leaves him with two options. For his number to be retired in Cleveland, he almost undoubtedly would have to win multiple championships with the team, and he is only under contract for this coming season. The Lakers are his best shot. It will probably happen, but only if he keeps his mouth shut.
So who currently is the best player in NBA history to not have his jersey number retired?
There are 139 players in the NBA Hall of Fame for their playing career. 68 have their jersey number retired (some by two teams). 53 did not play in the NBA since it became known as the National Basketball Association, including women players, international players, and pre-NBA players.
Eighteen Hall of Famers played in the NBA and have not had their jersey number retired. 14 of them played more than five years in the league: Paul Arizin, Walt Bellamy, Harry Gallatin, Tom Gola, Cliff Hagan, Bailey Howell, Neil Johnston, Jerry Lucas, Bob McAdoo, Andy Phillip, Arnie Risen, Dolph Schayes, Bobby Wanzer and George Yardley.
Lucas, Schayes, and Arizin seem to be the best of this group. Bellamy and McAdoo would be part of this group, but Bellamy played for six franchises in fourteen seasons, and McAdoo played for seven, also in fourteen seasons. It would be hard to identify either of them with a single franchise that could retire their number.
Lucas played six seasons for the Cincinnati Royals (and four games into a seventh), two with the San Francisco Warriors, and three with the New York Knicks. He was named Rookie of the Year in 1964, played in seven All-Star games, and won the NBA championship with the Knicks in 1973. He is one of four players to ever record 40 rebounds in a single game (Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, and Nate Thurmond are the others), which he did in his rookie season. His 12,492 career rebounds rank fourteenth all time.
Arizin played ten seasons for the Philadelphia Warriors, and made the All-Star team in all ten. He made first team All-NBA three times, and second team once. Arizin sat out two seasons due to military service in the Marines during the Korean War, and retired when the Warriors moved to San Francisco, not wanting to move with the team.
Schayes played sixteen seasons in the NBA, the first fifteen with the Syracuse Nationals, and the final one when the Nationals moved to Philadelphia and became the 76ers. He played in twelve All-Star games, and won the NBA championship in 1955 with the Nationals. He was named to the All-NBA first and second teams six times each. At the time of his retirement, he was the NBA’s all time leading scorer, with 18,438, which now puts him in 56th place.
The NBA named the 50 greatest players in the league’s history in 1996. Of the 18 Hall of Famers that have not had their jerseys retired, Schayes, Lucas, and Arizin were the only three that made the list. There was a fourth player on the list, though, who is not in the Hall of Fame yet, and has not had his jersey retired. His name?
Shaquille O’Neal.
Comments
this seems like a pretty fair argument. although i think LAL would retire his #. i am not aware though how shaq's relationship with the heat soured.
LA will retire his number. Buss got enough class to do so unless Shaq goes into a full-scale verbal war against him, which, at this stage of his career and his instinctive knowledge of media play, he won't do.
its one of those things that his jersey gets retired regardless. he is too good of a player to not have his jersey retired by at least 2 teams and probably three. He was ORL first #1 draft pick and brought them success. The lakers have to retire his number they pride themselves on the HOFers that hang from their rafters, and ya know the 3 championships!!! and then the Heat, I mean come on they have retired two numbers for people that dont even play basketball!! after Alonzo the only other players would be Wade and Shaq!
Jeanie Buss has already stated that Shaq's jersey will be retired as soon as he stops playing.
The Heat retired the number of a guy who never even played for them, so I think they could find it in themselves to retire the number of a key player on a championship team.
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