Future NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal saw his No. 34 jersey retired with the Los Angeles Lakers Tuesday, before the their game against the Dallas Mavericks.
On the same night, the current TNT analyst posed a challenge to fellow big man Dwight Howard, according to ESPN.com.
“I would like to see him average 28 and 10,” O’Neal said, referring to points and rebounds respectively.
O’Neal won three titles during his eight seasons with the Lakers. He said if the Lakers plan on winning more titles, then Howard will have to step up.
"That's the number that was thrown in my face, 28 and 10, so that's the number I'm always going to throw in his face,” O’Neal said.
O’Neal and Howard have had issues in the past. When Howard was given the nickname “Superman,” a name originally given to O’Neal, it sparked a bit of tension between the two big men.
"I'm not criticizing the guy; I'm just issuing a challenge,” he said. “I see a kid with a lot of talent. When I see him averaging 16 or 18 (points), that's not enough for me."
O'Neal was also asked about his strained relationship with Kobe Bryant; the two parted ways in 2004 after winning three championships together.
"It wasn't all about just because me and (Bryant)," O'Neal said. "It was just the business of basketball. Luckily, for me the way I was raised, I'm used to doing something different every four years. So, I looked at it like I spent two military tenures here. I was in L.A. eight years. It was just time for me to do something else. It was time for Kobe to come into his own. It was time for me to go somewhere else."
O’Neal went on to say that he and Bryant set aside their differences after the 2009 NBA All-Star game.
During his speech he paid he paid homage to late Lakers owner Jerry Buss, who asked for O’Neal’s number to be retired before was inducted into the hall of fame.
"I wish the great Mr. Jerry Buss was here," said O’Neal. "This process usually takes a long time, but it's because of him that it's happening this early in my retirement.
Finally, O’Neal thanked his father for his success.
"My father told me it could happen and I believed him," O'Neal said."That's why I developed a style of play that he designed for me to play. He knew I was going to be bigger and stronger than everybody. That's why I developed that style. It was a style that he developed for me. I could have gone with the finesse and tried to shoot jumpers, but he was like, 'Play this way, play this way, it will pay off for you in the long run.' And, I guess it has."
O’Neal finished his career with four NBA titles, one regular season MVP, two scoring tities, Rookie of the Year, 15 All-Star appearances, and three finals MVP.
