The renowned center believes that his transformation into a player stemmed from his late stepfather Phillip Harrison.
The first player in Orlando Magic history to have his jersey retired is basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal. The most dominant large player in Magic history, though, is not in a good emotional place because of someone who won’t be present to witness his indelible mark on Magic history.
For everything he has done in his career, O’Neal gives tribute to his late stepfather Phillip Harrison. O’Neal claimed he would never have even been an NBA player if it weren’t for Harrison.
O’Neal expressed sadness that Harrison, who passed away in 2013, will not be able to attend the event to retire his jersey, as reported by People magazine. Talking to People, O’Neal stated:
The man who accomplished this, in O’Neal’s opinion, will not be able to witness his success.
In addition, Shaquille O’Neal expressed his gratitude to former Magic owner Richard DeVos. When DeVos selected O’Neal, he gave him his first significant salary. The former standout player for LSU will always be appreciative of the chance DeVos granted him in the past. DeVos, who passed away in 2018, will also not be present for the ceremony.
O’Neal believes that his stepfather was the one who helped him grow into the well-known athlete he is today. O’Neal believes that he would have been just another homeless kid in the absence of his mentorship. So it breaks his heart that neither Harrison nor DeVos are here.
Putting the Orlando Magic on the map was Shaquille O’Neal.
In 1989, the Orlando Magic was established as a franchise for growth. In the first three years of the franchise’s existence, they experienced losing seasons. Then, they selected O’Neal with the first overall pick in 1992. That lotto winning ticket made the Magic famous.
The first player from the Orlando Magic to have their jersey retired is Shaquille O’Neal (Image via X)
O’Neal immediately changed the course of the franchise. Following his debut season with a 41-41 record, O’Neal guided the Magic to three consecutive postseason appearances. They advanced to both the Conference and NBA Finals on the last two occasions. Due to both O’Neal’s superstar charm and his play improvement, the Magic were able to become one of the league’s most watched teams.
Although O’Neal was unable to bring the Magic a championship, he made enough progress to have his jersey retired. the initial instance in their chronicles. However, he would have preferred to see those in charge of this accomplishment present.
