Wednesday Windmill: The Orlando Magic should retire Shaquille O'Neal's number

     The Miami Heat have made the decision to retire Shaquille O'Neal's #32 at the start of the 2016-17 season. 'The Big Aristotle' certainly had some good years with the Heat; making three All-Star appearances while helping the franchise capture their first NBA title in 2006. The Heat will be the second NBA franchise to retire O'Neal's number, but amazingly enough; they shouldn't be the last to do it, either. With the Lakers and Heat both deciding to retire Shaquille O'Neal's number, it's time for the Orlando Magic to follow suit and make it three.
   
     There are several reasons for why the Orlando Magic should retire Shaquille O'Neal's number 32. The first reason is that they haven't retired any numbers other than the number 6, which is in honor of the fans (Sixth man). That's right, the Magic have not retired the number of any player who actually played for them.
   
     What's even more amazing about this is the fact that over the years, the Orlando Magic have actually been a competitive team. They've been to the NBA Finals twice and had some of the most talented players in the league such as Dwight Howard and Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway in addition to Shaquille O'Neal. One would think that during their 26-year history, somebody would have earned the honors of having their number retired. If the Utah Jazz have retired nine numbers, surely the Orlando Magic can have one other number retired in addition to the number 6.
   
     Secondly, if the Orlando Magic were to retire the number of any player in their history, Shaquille O'Neal would be the first guy whose number should be retired. During his time in Orlando, he led the franchise to its first NBA Finals appearance and made the incredibly prestigious "50 Greatest Players in NBA History" list after his 3rd season in the league. Orlando is where Shaquille O'Neal began his career and considering all that he accomplished during his brief four years there; it would only be fitting for the Magic to retire his number.
   
     The third reason for why the Orlando Magic should retire Shaq's number has to do with the fact that he really gave the franchise a boost in its early era. Shaquille O'Neal burst on the NBA scene as a rookie, averaging 23.4 points and 13.9 rebounds per game. During his second and third seasons, he averaged a whopping 29.3 points per game, which are some of the best numbers in the history of the game for any individual season.
   
     Thanks to Shaquille O'Neal's incredible start to his career, the Orlando Magic instantly became a relevant franchise that everybody wanted to watch. Without him, the Orlando Magic would have had a much harder time gaining relevancy and probably would have been a team similar to the Vancouver Grizzlies, who ended up moving to Memphis due to a lack of fan support. In essence, it is quite possible that Shaquille O'Neal is the reason the Orlando Magic still exist as opposed to being in the form of a different team in a different city.
   
     With all of these reasons being laid out, why is it that the Orlando Magic haven't retired his number? The answer has to do with hurt feelings. Shaq left Orlando after his 4th season to go Hollywood and join the Los Angeles Lakers. With the Lakers, Shaq won three straight NBA championships and made four NBA Finals appearances. It's obvious that the Orlando Magic feel like Shaquille O'Neal turned his back on them and didn't accomplish all that he could have while a member of their team.
   
     While that is all very true, it still doesn't diminish what O'Neal accomplished in Orlando. His positive impact on the franchise resonates until this day and one could easily argue that of all the teams he has played for, his greatest impact was made on the Magic. When Shaq got to the Lakers, they were already the premier franchise of the NBA and as for the Heat; Dwyane Wade was the top dog.

     As for the Magic, the arrival of Shaquille O'Neal was a Godsend that put them on the map and kept them relevant in the public eye long after he left. Considering that, the very least the Magic can do is hang his jersey from the top of their arena. In truth, it would probably be fitting for them to build him a statue as well. He means that much to them whether they want to admit it or not.