Lakers News: Shaquille O?Neal to Have Jersey Retired by Los Angeles

The Lakers will honor Shaquille O'Neal by retiring his jersey this season.

According to Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register, Los Angeles will retire O'Neal's No.34 jersey on April 2 against the Mavericks. Jamaal Wilkes will also get his No.2 jersey retired on Dec.28 against the Trail Blazers.

The news comes soon after it was announced that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar would have a statue of himself erected outside of Staples Center. The all-time NBA scoring leader becomes just the fourth former Laker to receive the honor.

O'Neal spent eight seasons in L.A. He signed with the team as a free agent after the 1995-96 season. The center signed a seven-year, $120 million contract to play in Los Angeles. At the time, it was the biggest contract in team sports history.

The future Hall of Famer helped L.A. form the league's newest dynasty, once Michael Jordan retired in 1998. He led the Lakers to three straight NBA titles from 2000-2002.

In his time with Los Angeles, O'Neal was probably the most dominant player in the league. He averaged 27 points, 11.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game in his eight years. The big man won the Finals MVP in each of the team's championship seasons.

After losing to the Pistons in the 2004 Finals, O'Neal was unceremoniously traded to the Heat, after clashing with Kobe Bryant. He went on to win another title with Miami in 2006.

Seven Lakers have their numbers retired. Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, Gail Goodrich, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy and Jerry West all have their jerseys hanging in the rafters of Staples Center.

O'Neal played his final season with the Celtics in 2011.