Shaquille O’Neal will be honored by the Los Angeles Lakers with a statue outside the Staples Center.
O’Neal first heard the news from Jimmy Kimmel, since he was on Jimmy Kimmel Live! last night. Kimmel said that the Lakers had asked him to tell O’Neal, who didn’t believe the comedian at first. Kimmel also showed an artist’s rendering of the statue, which shows Shaq slamming a dunk.
“We look forward to having Shaq join the other legends who have been honored with statues at STAPLES Center,” Lapers president and co-owner Jeanie Buss said in a statement. “He is a giant not only in size, but also in stature and in what he accomplished as a Laker. Shaq literally broke the ground for the site, and was hugely responsible for not only getting STAPLES Center built, but for making it one of the most successful and famous arenas in the world. It's an honor that is well deserved.”
O’Neal will likely join the Basketball Hall of Fame and played in the NBA from 1992 to 2011 with the Magic, Lakers, Heat, Suns, Cavaliers and Celtics. He won three championships with the Lakers and another with the Heat. He played in 15 NBA All-Star Games and was voted MVP after the 1999-2000 season.
The statue will be unveiled during next season.