Shaquille O’Neal retired on June 1st 2011 at 39 years old after an extremely successful 19-year NBA career
During his career, Shaquille O’Neal was one of the most dominant players in the NBA. Many fans wonder how old Shaq was when he retired. O’Neal retired on June 1st, 2011 at 39 years old after an extremely successful 19-year NBA career. Shaquille O’Neal played his last season with the Boston Celtics and averaged 9.2 points and 4.2 rebounds per game.
O’Neal retired after 19 years in the NBA and injuries seem to be the reason. Over the last few seasons of his career, Shaquille O’Neal faced injury trouble and struggled to stay on the court.
His last season with the Boston Celtics was an injury-riddled one and limited him to 37 games played. This paired with his age pushed O’Neal to retire from the NBA and professional basketball. Shaquille O’Neal retired as one of the best players in NBA history with a legacy that is hard to beat.
O’Neal retired as a 4-time NBA Champion, 3-time NBA Finals MVP, onetime MVP, and 15-time NBA All-Star. The Los Angeles Lakers retired the Number 34 jersey on April 2nd, 2013 and the Miami heat retired his number 32 jersey on December 22nd, 2016. O’Neal was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016.
Which team drafted Shaquille O’Neal?
The Orlando Magic selected Shaquille O’Neal with the 1st pick in the 1992 NBA Draft. O’Neal was the consensus top prospect for the 1992 Draft and many considered him a surefire NBA Star.
In his rookie year, Shaquille O’Neal averaged 23.4 points, 13.9 rebounds and 3.5 blocks in 81 games. He was awarded with the Rookie of the Year award and was named an NBA All-Star as well.
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