This season saw the Orlando Magic retire their first-ever player jersey, and it belonged to none other than Big Diesel, Shaquille O’Neal. Being drafted first overall in the 1992 NBA draft, Shaq took the league by storm long before his LA days. But to choose the day to get honored by the Magic right after Shaq’s jersey retirement? Well, JJ Redick sure regrets his decision now.
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JJ Redick recently made an appearance on The Big Podcast with Shaq. The conversation went down with JJ talking about the contributions Shaquille O’Neal made during his Orlando Magic days and went on to talk about his jersey retirement.
“They retired your jersey the night before and then they gave me, they just gave me a jersey, at center court. I’m like, ‘I should’ve picked any other date.’ Like, for me to follow you up, like, c’mon man. That was just bad timing, bad planning on my part. Bad planning.”
JJ Redick was continuously asked by the Orlando Magic franchise to stop by one of their home games so that the team could honor him as well. Unfortunately for JJ, he never made his way to Orlando until recently.
And to choose a day after the Magic honored Shaq by lifting his jersey in the rafters was something JJ Redick surely did regret. Shaq’s jersey retirement ceremony was a big event in Magic franchise history.
So, for JJ Redick to choose a day right after that was bound to take some of that ‘Magic’ away. But for the team to just hand him a jersey before the second quarter of the game between the Magic and the Knicks may have been a new low for a player and a franchise.
JJ Redick’s love for the Magic
JJ Redick was drafted by the Orlando Magic back in 2006 and was an integral part of the team for the coming years. A Duke sharpshooter, Redick played an important role on the team and would often come in clutch for the Magic in playoff situations.
The peak of Redick’s career with the Magic may have been his trip to the NBA Finals back in 2009 when Dwight Howard led the team. Redick still has a lot of love for the team and the city of Orlando.
Despite having some of the best years of his career with the Clippers and the 76ers, Redick once expressed his displeasure with the Magic when the team went to the bottom of the barrel after Dwight’s departure.
Eventually, Redick left Orlando and went on to have a successful career with other teams.
