"At an undetermined time, the Lakers plan to raise Shaquille O'Neal's No. 34 jersey to the Staples Center rafters, making him the eighth Lakers player to have his number retired.

"There is no timetable and there is no plan other than yes, we definitely plan at some point to retire his jersey," Lakers spokesman John Black said.

The news, as first reported by ESPN Los Angeles' Dave McMenamin, coincides with O'Neal's announcement Wednesday that he will retire after a 19-year career that spanned four NBA championships, three Finals most-valuable-player awards, one regular-season MVP award and 15 All-Star appearances. He is in fifth place on the league's all-time scoring list (28,596 points) and has cemented his legacy as one of the NBA's dominant centers.

"We did it," O'Neal said on the social-media site Tout, a video-messaging service. "Nineteen years, baby. I want to thank you very much, that's why I'm telling you."

Although O'Neal's career spanned six teams, including the Orlando Magic, Lakers, Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics, most of his professional success happened during his eight-year tenure with the Lakers. After signing with the Lakers as a free agent in 1996 on a seven-year, $120-million deal, O'Neal breathed life into an organization that had foundered since the Showtime Era, and he paved the way to three consecutive NBA championships from 2000 to 2002. O'Neal averaged 27 points, 11.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.5 blocks in 514 regular-season games with the Lakers, a jump from his career averages of 23.7 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.3 blocks."