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LSU to Retire Shaquille O'Neal's No. 33

by LSUsports.net (@LSUsports)
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LSU to Retire Shaquille O'Neal's No. 33

BATON ROUGE — Members of the LSU Hall of Fame Committee voted unanimously on Friday to retire the jersey number of former LSU men’s basketball All-American Shaquille O’Neal.

The jersey No. 33 will formally be retired at a game still to be determined during the 2000-2001 men’s basketball season.

O’Neal’s number will be the fourth retired number at the University, joining Bob Pettit, Billy Cannon and Pete Maravich. Maravich’s number was the last retired by the school at the end of Maravich’s senior season in 1970.

The 7-1 center became a national celebrity with great play and an intimidation factor that made him the envy of coaches throughout the country in his three years at LSU. He was a two-time consensus Southeastern Conference Player of the Year and First-Team All-American in 1991 and 1992. He was the National Player of the Year in 1991 as chosen by the Associated Press, United Press International and Sports Illustrated.

O’Neal also was named the Tanqueray World Amateur Athlete of the Year in 1991 and was runnerup for the Naismith and Wooden Awards in 1992. He was the national leader in rebounding (14.7 average) in 1991 and the national leader in blocks (5.2 average) in 1992.

For his career, he scored 1,941 points, a 21.6 average, fourth all-time at LSU and his 1,217 rebounds ranks second all-time at LSU.

Upon league LSU, O’Neal was the overall No. 1 selection in the National Basketball Association draft in 1992 by the Orlando Magic, was an Olympic Gold Medalist in 1996 and a member of the NBA 50-Year Top 50 in 1997. He now plays for the Los Angeles Lakers and this past season was the playoff MVP as he led the Lakers to the NBA Championship.