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Photo: San Antonio Express-News Image 1 of / 15 Caption Close Image 2 of 15 Retired basketball star Shaquille O'Neal laughs during his high school jersey retirement ceremony at Cole High School on Friday, mar. 7, 2014. O'Neal graduated from Cole in 1989 and took the basketball team to a 3A State championship. The school honored O'Neal by retiring his jersey with an accompaniment of guests including his former coaches and teammates from Cole High. (Kin Man Hui/San Antonio Express-News) less Retired basketball star Shaquille O'Neal laughs during his high school jersey retirement ceremony at Cole High School on Friday, mar. 7, 2014. O'Neal graduated from Cole in 1989 and took the basketball team to ... more Photo: San Antonio Express-News Image 3 of 15 A banner recognizing the 3A state championship for Cole High School in basketball in 1989. Retired basketball star Shaquille O'Neal was honored during his high school jersey retirement ceremony at Cole High School on Friday, mar. 7, 2014. O'Neal graduated from Cole in 1989 and took the basketball team to a 3A State championship. The school honored O'Neal by retiring his jersey with an accompaniment of guests including his former coaches and teammates from Cole High. (Kin Man Hui/San Antonio Express-News) less A banner recognizing the 3A state championship for Cole High School in basketball in 1989. Retired basketball star Shaquille O'Neal was honored during his high school jersey retirement ceremony at Cole High ... more Photo: San Antonio Express-News Image 4 of 15 The trophy from the 3A state championship for Cole High School in basketball in 1989. Retired basketball star Shaquille O'Neal was honored during his high school jersey retirement ceremony at Cole High School on Friday, mar. 7, 2014. O'Neal graduated from Cole in 1989 and took the basketball team to a 3A State championship. The school honored O'Neal by retiring his jersey with an accompaniment of guests including his former coaches and teammates from Cole High. (Kin Man Hui/San Antonio Express-News) less The trophy from the 3A state championship for Cole High School in basketball in 1989. Retired basketball star Shaquille O'Neal was honored during his high school jersey retirement ceremony at Cole High School ... more Photo: San Antonio Express-News Image 5 of 15 Image 6 of 15 Retired basketball star Shaquille O'Neal jokes with former teammate Eric Baker during his high school jersey retirement ceremony at Cole High School on Friday, mar. 7, 2014. O'Neal graduated from Cole in 1989 and took the basketball team to a 3A State championship. The school honored O'Neal by retiring his jersey with an accompaniment of guests including his former coaches and teammates from Cole High. (Kin Man Hui/San Antonio Express-News) less Retired basketball star Shaquille O'Neal jokes with former teammate Eric Baker during his high school jersey retirement ceremony at Cole High School on Friday, mar. 7, 2014. O'Neal graduated from Cole in 1989 ... more Photo: San Antonio Express-News Image 7 of 15 Retired basketball star Shaquille O'Neal poses with a jersey representing his school and number during his high school jersey retirement ceremony at Cole High School on Friday, mar. 7, 2014. O'Neal graduated from Cole in 1989 and took the basketball team to a 3A State championship. The school honored O'Neal by retiring his jersey with an accompaniment of guests including his former coaches and teammates from Cole High. (Kin Man Hui/San Antonio Express-News) less Retired basketball star Shaquille O'Neal poses with a jersey representing his school and number during his high school jersey retirement ceremony at Cole High School on Friday, mar. 7, 2014. O'Neal graduated ... more Photo: San Antonio Express-News Image 8 of 15 Retired basketball star Shaquille O'Neal joined by his former teammates sing the Cole High school song during his high school jersey retirement ceremony at Cole High School on Friday, mar. 7, 2014. O'Neal graduated from Cole in 1989 and took the basketball team to a 3A State championship. The school honored O'Neal by retiring his jersey with an accompaniment of guests including his former coaches and teammates from Cole High. (Kin Man Hui/San Antonio Express-News) less Retired basketball star Shaquille O'Neal joined by his former teammates sing the Cole High school song during his high school jersey retirement ceremony at Cole High School on Friday, mar. 7, 2014. O'Neal ... more Photo: San Antonio Express-News Image 9 of 15 Retired basketball star Shaquille O'Neal playfully rubs the head of his assistant high school basketball coach Herb More during his high school jersey retirement ceremony at Cole High School on Friday, mar. 7, 2014. O'Neal graduated from Cole in 1989 and took the basketball team to a 3A State championship. The school honored O'Neal by retiring his jersey with an accompaniment of guests including his former coaches and teammates from Cole High. (Kin Man Hui/San Antonio Express-News) less Retired basketball star Shaquille O'Neal playfully rubs the head of his assistant high school basketball coach Herb More during his high school jersey retirement ceremony at Cole High School on Friday, mar. 7, ... more Photo: San Antonio Express-News Image 10 of 15 Image 11 of 15 Retired basketball star Shaquille O'Neal addresses the audience during his high school jersey retirement ceremony at Cole High School on Friday, mar. 7, 2014. O'Neal graduated from Cole in 1989 and took the basketball team to a 3A State championship. The school honored O'Neal by retiring his jersey with an accompaniment of guests including his former coaches and teammates from Cole High. (Kin Man Hui/San Antonio Express-News) less Retired basketball star Shaquille O'Neal addresses the audience during his high school jersey retirement ceremony at Cole High School on Friday, mar. 7, 2014. O'Neal graduated from Cole in 1989 and took the ... more Photo: San Antonio Express-News Image 12 of 15 Retired basketball star Shaquille O'Neal walks with his assistant high school basketball coach Herb More during his high school jersey retirement ceremony at Cole High School on Friday, mar. 7, 2014. O'Neal graduated from Cole in 1989 and took the basketball team to a 3A State championship. The school honored O'Neal by retiring his jersey with an accompaniment of guests including his former coaches and teammates from Cole High. (Kin Man Hui/San Antonio Express-News) less Retired basketball star Shaquille O'Neal walks with his assistant high school basketball coach Herb More during his high school jersey retirement ceremony at Cole High School on Friday, mar. 7, 2014. O'Neal ... more Photo: San Antonio Express-News Image 13 of 15 Retired basketball star Shaquille O'Neal smiles as he greets a guest at his high school jersey retirement ceremony at Cole High School on Friday, mar. 7, 2014. O'Neal graduated from Cole in 1989 and took the basketball team to a 3A State championship. The school honored O'Neal by retiring his jersey with an accompaniment of guests including his former coaches and teammates from Cole High. (Kin Man Hui/San Antonio Express-News) less Retired basketball star Shaquille O'Neal smiles as he greets a guest at his high school jersey retirement ceremony at Cole High School on Friday, mar. 7, 2014. O'Neal graduated from Cole in 1989 and took the ... more Photo: San Antonio Express-News Image 14 of 15 Retired basketball star Shaquille O'Neal playfully rubs the head of his assistant high school basketball coach Herb More during his high school jersey retirement ceremony at Cole High School on Friday, mar. 7, 2014. O'Neal graduated from Cole in 1989 and took the basketball team to a 3A State championship. The school honored O'Neal by retiring his jersey with an accompaniment of guests including his former coaches and teammates from Cole High. (Kin Man Hui/San Antonio Express-News) less Retired basketball star Shaquille O'Neal playfully rubs the head of his assistant high school basketball coach Herb More during his high school jersey retirement ceremony at Cole High School on Friday, mar. 7, ... more Photo: San Antonio Express-News Image 15 of 15 Humbled Shaquille O'Neal sees his jersey retired at Cole High School 1 / 15 Back to Gallery

SAN ANTONIO — The Cole Cougars on Friday afternoon formally retired the jersey of Shaquille O’Neal, a player who led the team to the 1989 Class 3A state championship.

“I was just a scrawny kid, talked a lot of smack, had big dreams,” O’Neal said after the ceremony. “But the crazy thing, I wasn’t the best player in San Antonio.”

O’Neal eventually turned into one of the best players of all time.

The 7-foot-1 center toiled for 19 years in the NBA and scored more than 28,000 points before retiring after the 2011 season.

But in the late 1980s, O’Neal looked to other players in the city that he said had more ability at the time.

“You remember that, Tony Terrell, Bo Outlaw, Calvin Thomas, Askia Jones,” O’Neal said. “Even though you wrote good things about me and said I was going to make it, there was still some doubt.”