The Los Angeles Lakers essentially gifted the Miami Heat championship possibilities with the 2004 trade of Shaquille O'Neal. So perhaps it's only fitting that the Heat announced Monday that they will retire O'Neal's No. 32 Heat jersey when the Lakers visit AmericanAirlines Arena on Dec. 22.
The halftime ceremony for the previously announced honor will include a speech from Heat President Pat Riley, who, on July 14, 2004, traded Caron Butler, Lamar Odom, Brian Grant and a first-round pick that would turn into Jordan Farmer for O'Neal.
With O'Neal playing alongside Dwyane Wade, the Heat then won the first of the franchise's three championships in 2006.
O'Neal's No. 32 will become the third Heat jersey retired, following the No. 33 of Alonzo Mourning and No. 10 Tim Hardaway. The Heat already have spoken of eventual plans to retire Wade's No. 3.
O'Neal played three and a half seasons with the Heat, leaving amid rancor that eventually dissipated. During his tenure, he became the first Heat player and only the sixth in NBA history to shoot at least 60 percent from the field in consecutive seasons, doing so his first two seasons with the Heat.
O'Neal remains the Heat's all-time leader in field-goal percentage (.596) and ranks third in scoring average (19.6), sixth in blocks (384), seventh in free throws attempted (1,708), eighth in offensive rebounds (621), ninth in double-doubles (84), 11th in total rebounds (1,856), 12th in defensive rebounds (1,235), 12th in field goals made (1,612), 13th in free throws made (786), 14th in points (4,010), 14th in double-figure scoring games (191), 14th in starts (203) and 15th in field goals attempted (2,703).
O'Neal currently serves as a TNT studio an analyst on the network's NBA broadcasts, also with an ownership stake in the Sacramento Kings.
