Living full- and part-time in Los Angeles for the past six years, I have developed a genuine interest and respect for L.A. sports. Well, not for the Clippers, because that's just wrong. And certainly not for any football since the Angelenos have been without a squad since both Rams and Raiders vacated. I'd be lying if I said I gave a flying fork for the Kings, ever since Gretzky dismantled the Leafs in a Game 7 so tragic, I will never forgive them. And as much as I enjoy the relative tranquility of Dodger Stadium, I have zero interest in rooting for the home team. And now i get to watch as the amazing Shaquille O'Neal turns the biggest man in the NBA into its smallest. As only he could do it. From Superman to Super Dunderhead, faster than a speeding bullet. The Big Whatever just can't help himself. He cannot shut up. Apparently he is truly incapable of finding professional happiness. You would think the guy would be contented as a computer nerd at an electronics convention. Everything has seemingly gone his way. It's all right there, and somehow it's still not enough. He cannot move on. Can't be the bigger man. Shaq has to look across 2,500 miles to take continual cheap shots. Memo to Shaq: Let it go. It's over. History. Bask in your success. Silently reap what you have sown and shut that infantile mouth. Hold it, this just in: Shaq did not say a single derogatory thing today about Kobe Bryant, Jerry Buss, Mitch Kupchak, the city of Los Angeles, the Pacific Ocean or "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith." He must have had the shakes. It's gone on all season, and it's tiring. It's one thing to be amusingly childlike and another to be simply childish. Now you can understand the Big Whatever being upset with Kobe for giving him up to Colorado detectives, telling officers Shaq had paid $1 million to women to keep them quiet after sexual encounters. Shaq denied the allegation, but the constant sniping at Kobe goes well beyond any animosity that simply stems from Colorado. Theirs was the most infamous great relationship in NBA history. Great in that it produced three championships and four NBA Finals appearances in five years. Not so great in that neither was mature enough to put aside their super egos and personal agendas to recognize they had something very special going. Shaq, still under contract for two years at $58.3 million, wanted a contract extension. And when he asked for it. The poor baby didn't get his way, or at least the amount he wanted. So Shaq demanded a trade last offseason and got it. The Lakers did not send him to the lowly Atlanta Hawks, but to a good team in a great city. He showed up, his shtick played fresh, the city fell at his feet and the Heat turned into world-beaters. All while the Lakers spiraled out of playoffs contention for the first time in 11 years. Shaq wins! He did not have to say a thing. The results were there for all to see. The high road called, and he couldn't take it. All season he sniped at Kobe, though seldom by name. Kobe, to his credit, did not return the verbal volleys. He took shots at Kupchak, despite the Lakers general manager apparently doing him this great favor by trading him to Miami. His team had the best record in the East. Are a co-favorite for the title. And still the Big Whatever won't let up. Admittedly, he was tweaked by Buss who said last week he would not have traded him if he'd known Shaq was going to lose 60 pounds. Shaq responded by saying Buss was not a real owner like Miami's Micky Arison and he spent too much time partying with women three times younger. Hey, Shaq was a blob the past few years. He did fail to keep in shape. He did put off toe surgery for months so he could enjoy his offseason and started the season on the injured list. Then this week he unloaded yet again on the Lakers in USA Today. He called L.A. "fake" and Miami a more real place. Called Buss "that old man," team management "cowards" and Kobe "arrogant," while barely being able to say his name. The Big Whatever said he became so frustrated with Kobe he was worried he might try to bust his head open, and who knew Tex Winter could still set such a mean screen? Shaq has crossed the line before with comments insensitive to Chinese, Jews and the Sacramento Kings (OK, that was funny). But he's so likable, so playful, so outrageous, he was always allowed to skate. Now he just seems petty. Buss is the owner who signed Shaq to a $123-million, seven-year deal. L.A. is the city that embraced him. Management, right or wrong, did have the courage to trade him. And Kobe may be arrogant, but that's pot-and-kettle time. Shaq must really miss Los Angeles and the Lakers. He can't stop talking about them. The Big Whatever is like the beautiful woman whose self-esteem becomes tied to comments on her beauty, the exterior belying insecurity and the need for more adulation. He comes off the ungrateful child. He won three championships here. Those should be ours and his memories. Not the way he can make himself so very small.
^^ If im not mistaken, he didnt write this... its from a journalist. Read it @ CL about a week or so ago.
Nice post. Like Kobe said, he just forgets about the talk because the truth will come out. Go Lakers!
I dont understand why we have people from other team forums in here doing nothing but starting ish. If you dont like the lakers.... then why bother?
The Lakers didnt make the playoffs but we have the most posts going on on any team board. Haters flock to this section all the time. Just takes getting used to. The greatest teams are always the most hated. IM PROUD TO BE A LAKER FAN!
Hey that's the way it is. We have to accept it guys. And when we win awards and championships lets just laugh at all of their stupid excuses and comments. We are the best. Kobe bring us some more championships.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting DMKfromTPL:</div><div class="quote_post">I dont understand why we have people from other team forums in here doing nothing but starting ish. If you dont like the lakers.... then why bother?</div> Hah go to Heat forum and see how many Lakers fans are doing the same thing. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Hey that's the way it is. We have to accept it guys. And when we win awards and championships lets just laugh at all of their stupid excuses and comments. We are the best. Kobe bring us some more championships.</div> Alright, i guess that day will come but how many years will it take? To many peeps, what matters is now. Not "next year"
lol what the guy said actually makes sense... if he didn't miss LA trhen he wouldn't be talkin' about us
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting WadeDynasty:</div><div class="quote_post">Hah go to Heat forum and see how many Lakers fans are doing the same thing. Alright, i guess that day will come but how many years will it take? To many peeps, what matters is now. Not "next year"</div> Shaq has been great for the Heat and they are in a position to win the NBA Championship. One of the reasons why Shaq works in Miami and not in Los Angeles is the fact Dwayne Wade is still in his rookie contract. As a fan of the Heat, with a decision to continue to play with Shaq and risk losing Wade, which direction would you take? I'm 99% sure you would rather see the team build around Wade. Coming off 4 straight appearances into the NBA Finals and getting exposed in 4 games by the Pistons showed the Lakers could no longer win with Shaq & Kobe, and a thin bench. They decided to build around Kobe and the best way to start was dealing Shaq while they could, and get back a few pieces. I don't necessarily like what the Lakers got for Shaq, especially Brian Grant being a part of the deal. But hey, if that's the best Mitch Kupchak could get for Shaq, than as Laker fans we have no choice, but to except it and hope we can get a good player or two when Grant's contract expires.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">RIC BUCHER In Shaq's early years, I defended him when people said he was just a dunker. He was a much more complete player than that. I loved how he continued to develop under Phil in L.A. But then his jealousy of Kobe -- and yes, it's a two-way street-- turned me off. Kobe gets all the grief, but as I see it, they had equal parts in that thing falling part. Here's my issue: He has been made out to be a saint in this whole Lakers-Heat fiasco. Truth is, once he knew Kobe would have equal standing in LA, *he* wanted out and demanded to be sent to Miami. The Lakers did his bidding, which they didn't, and probably shouldn't, have had to do. As personable as he is and as talented as he was before his body started breaking down, he remains immature and reacts anytime the spotlight is placed on someone else. I had to smile when the story leaked out that Shaq called Wade for a few words of reassuring advice at 4 a.m. That's classic: he's calling a teammate who has a family at 4 in the morning and he wants everyone to know he still matters. Those kind of calls are made all the time by players to each other, only not in the middle of the night. They don't advertise them, because, in most cases, they're not starving for attention. </div> Source Thank you for shedding the light Ric!
