Michael Jordan is one of the greatest athletes of all time. He was simply dominant during his time with the Chicago Bulls, and throughout the 1990s he did nothing but win. He won six championships in eight years, taking two years off to pursue a baseball career.
With the superstar status he earned, Jordan became a global figure whose greatness is still respected today. He’s widely considered the best player in NBA history, and apparently, the Bulls retired his jersey. But they’re not the only team. Jordan’s jersey also hangs in the rafters of the Miami Heat.
The team respected Jordan enough that they felt it necessary to retire his jersey, but some players disagreed with the move. Former Heat big man and NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal recently expressed his displeasure with the decision.
“I hate it when they hang other people’s jerseys,” O’Neal said via his podcast, “Shaq’s Big Podcast.” “I hope I didn’t disrespect anyone with that word. This thing is ours. This is what we built. Michael Jordan never played for the Heat. Bill Russell never played for the Heat. You and Your little Celtics family and your Chicago family do your own thing. But what about the Miami thing? I’m one of the original championship families…it’s our thing. So personally, I’m not into it so.”
The Heat culture is real, and according to O’Neal, if you haven’t lived through it and played in it, your number shouldn’t be in the rafters.