“They did Terrence Shannon Jr dirty” – Fans in disbelief as Illinois jersey retirement goes terribly wrong

The Illinois Fighting Illini had a major goof-up at the jersey retirement ceremony of Minnesota Timberwolves guard Terrence Shannon Jr.

“They did Terrence Shannon Jr dirty” – Fans in disbelief as Illinois jersey retirement goes terribly wrong

Terrence Shannon Jr. played for the Illinois Fighting Illini

The highest honor any sports team can give their player is retiring their jersey. Seeing your jersey being raised to the ceiling along with championship banners and other legends is a moment of pride that very few things can surpass. However, for former Illinois Fighting Illini star Terrence Shannon Jr., his greatest honor was soured by an almost unprecedented goof-up by the organization.

After a remarkable career with the Fighting Illini, Minnesota Timberwolves guard Terrence Shannon Jr. spent his All-Star break heading to his alma matter to watch his jersey hung up in the rafters. But for Illinois and Shannon Jr., the night was memorable for all the wrong reasons. What should have been a flawless and emotional tribute turned into an embarrassing blunder when Illinois managed to unveil Shannon’s jersey… upside down.

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On Saturday night at State Farm Center, the Fighting Illini honored Shannon by raising his No. 0 jersey to the rafters during halftime of their game against Michigan State. The 6-foot-6 forward became the 36th player in Illinois history to receive such an honor, joining an elite group of legends.

Despite the awkward moment, Terrence Shannon Jr’s career at Illinois deservedly earned him a jersey retirement. In his lone season with the Illini, he averaged an impressive 23.0 points per game, ranking third in the nation, with a scoring average which had not been seen in the program for over five decades. He was a third-team All-American, led Illinois to the Elite Eight, and shattered records in the Big Ten Tournament, securing the Most Outstanding Player award.

Fans left in splits by Illinois’ goof-up at Terrence Shannon Jr.’s jersey retirement

Jersey retirements are supposed to be emotional – just ask Vince Carter. Fans and players are supposed to revel in the glory of an achievement like earning a jersey retirement. Unfortunately, the moment on Saturday at the State Farm Arena was anything but emotional. Once Terrence Shannon Jr. unveiled the upside-down jersey, fans in the arena and on the internet couldn’t help but roll their eyes at the goof-up.

Despite the goof-up and the online backlash, Shannon still earned the honor of being the 36th player in Illini history to have their jersey retired. Now, as the All-Star festivities continue to wind down with the revamped All-Star game set to take place on Sunday, Shannon will head back to Minnesota, where the Timberwolves drafted him with the 27th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.