Shaquille O'Neal announced his retirement Wednesday afternoon, ending a storied 19-year career as one of the greatest players in history. Though O'Neal played for six teams, he'll be best remembered for his eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, during which he won the first three championships of his career--taking home the Finals MVP award each time--and his lone Most Valuable Player award. Here's where Shaq ranks on the Lakers' all-time leaderboard:
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Second in field-goal percentage (57.5 percent); only Wilt Chamberlain (60.5 percent) ranks higher.
↵Second in scoring average (27 per game); only Elgin Baylor (27.4) ranks higher.
↵Fifth in rebound average (11.8 per game).
↵Second in block average (2.5 per game); only Elmore Smith (3.9) ranks higher.
↵First in Player Efficiency Rating (28.9).
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Those numbers sure are gaudy, but some folks might argue--and fairly so--that O'Neal simply isn't on the highest tier of Lakers greats because he lacks longevity with the club. His 514 games played as a Laker ranks him 20th on the all-time list, behind such luminaries as Elden Campbell (618, 13th), Randy LaRusso (582, 14th), and Jim Krebs (515, 19th). When it comes to total stats, not per-game ones, his standing in Lakers lore is less notable.
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