MIAMI -- Shaquille O'Neal helped the Miami Heat put up their first championship banner, and soon another banner will sway over the team's home floor in his honor.
The Heat announced Tuesday that they will retire O'Neal's No. 32 at the beginning of next season. He becomes the third player to get such a designation from the Heat, joining Alonzo Mourning and Tim Hardaway.
Miami is also the second team to retire an O'Neal jersey, after the Los Angeles Lakers did so with the No. 34 he donned for that franchise.
"Shaquille O'Neal is one of the truly elite players in the history of the game and one of the greatest players to ever wear a Heat uniform," Heat President Pat Riley said.