El Segundo, CA (Sports Network) - The Los Angeles Lakers will retire the
jerseys of Shaquille O'Neal and Jamaal Wilkes in separate ceremonies this
upcoming season.
The Lakers also announced their plans to unveil a statue of Kareem Abdul-
Jabbar outside the Staples Center.
O'Neal, who retired last year, played eight seasons for the Lakers from
1996-2004 and won three straight NBA titles with the team from 2000-02.
The Lakers will hang O'Neal's No. 34 in the rafters on April 2. They will
retire No. 52 on Dec. 28 in honor of Wilkes, who was recently named to the
Basketball Hall of Fame. Wilkes played for the Lakers from 1977-84, winning
four titles.
On Nov. 16 the Lakers will unveil the statue of Jabbar, a six-time NBA
champion and the league's all-time scoring leader. Former Lakers Magic Johnson
and Jerry West, hockey great Wayne Gretzky, boxer Oscar De La Hoya and late
Hall of Fame broadcaster Chick Hearn also have statues outside Staples Center.
The Sports Network