The Lakers have a Shaq-sized wardrobe malfunction

When you’re retiring a fellow’s jersey, make sure all your I’s are dotted and all your Vs crossed -- that’s the takeaway lesson from Tuesday’s ceremony honoring former Los Angeles Laker Shaquille O’Neal, which saw his name and number 34 unveiled high above the Staples Center crowd -- on the wrong side of a jersey.

Since our compatriot Ben Bolch writes about the glitch in today’s Sports section, we won’t revisit it in much detail except to note two things:

First, I’m embarrassed I didn’t notice the error myself the second the black screen covering the jersey dropped below the distinctive V-shaped neckline during the televised ceremony, since I fancy myself a keen observer of the Laker uniform since the moment I landed in the City of Angels.

Second, despite all the focus on the flub on display in the rarefied air near the rafters of Staples Center, the mounted and framed version of the jersey presented to O’Neal during the ceremony appears to have gotten everything facing the right way.

Just giving credit where credit is due.

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