<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"> nightmare scenario is unfolding for the Lakers, with the Miami Heat now 6-0 in the playoffs and Shaquille O'Neal taking shots at his former team almost by the day. In a USA Today story published Tuesday, O'Neal called Los Angeles "real, real fake" and said he worried about attacking Kobe Bryant last season, so great was his hostility toward his old teammate. "The man upstairs got me here before I blew a head vessel or before I was going to bust somebody's head open," O'Neal said. He added that the Lakers never tried to control Bryant. "It was like they were scared of him," O'Neal said. O'Neal also hammered Bryant in discussing Phil Jackson's future. Asked if he could see a Jackson return working out, O'Neal said, "No, no, because the other guy (Bryant) doesn't have anybody he respects." The Lakers had no comment on O'Neal's remarks but are prepared for the barrage to continue as long as the Heat is alive in the playoffs. After Lakers owner Jerry Buss last week said O'Neal's only motivation for losing weight came with his trade to Miami, O'Neal blasted Buss for hanging out with 20-year-old young women in his private life. "I don't need to feel vindicated," O'Neal said. "It's just a case of righteousness versus unrighteousness. (Buss) is not man enough to look in the mirror and say he (messed) up." O'Neal also said that Buss promised him a contract extension if he helped bring Karl Malone and Gary Payton to the Lakers in the summer of 2003. O'Neal referred to Buss as "that old man" in the interview. "Who called Karl and Gary and made them take far less money?" O'Neal said. "I'm making these guys promises and nothing is going right, so it's me looking bad. These guys are looking at me like, 'Damn, why did you bring me here? How come you didn't tell me about this dude?' " </div> Source
I really do beleive Shaq' and his comments about what happened with the Lakers last year. Somebody broke the Lakers up and it wasn't Phil Jackson or Shaq'.
Does Shaq know when to shut up? It really doesn't seem that way. Why does he give a damn about the Lakers anymore? He's not there. Leave em alone. Stop taking shots. Stop taking shots at Kobe. Stop taking shots at the Lakers in general. Grow up Shaq. Grow up, shut up, and get a life. It's not necessary to take shots at them anymore and make some of the comments he has, specifically the one about Buss. So, be quiet, enjoy your time in Miami, win your damn ring, do whatever, just leave the Lakers alone. I don't see why he cares about them so much, why he cares what happens with Kobe and them so much, when he's not even there. He needs to grow up and focus on what happens on the court and care less about what's happening in Laker land.
Shaq' He shouldn't be saying little things like this to take shots at the Lakers through the press. I disagree with only one thing you said Moo. You wonder why Shaq' cares about what happens in L.A. He probably enjoys watching the Lakers struggle after what happened. Shaq' and Kobe don't like each other and Shaq' doesn't like the Lakers. He thinks it shows everyone what happens when you trade the best player in the game. And it does. Look what happened to the Lakers after Shaq' left. The Lakers managment screwed the team and the city.
I think Shaq is taking a page out of Phil Jackson's book. Shaq is feeding the media cheap shots at Kobe and the Lakers to protect himself from REAL questions. Questions about why he hasn't been dominant in the playoffs, questions about his health, and questions about his salary demands.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting AA13:</div><div class="quote_post"> I disagree with only one thing you said Moo. You wonder why Shaq' cares about what happens in L.A. He probably enjoys watching the Lakers struggle after what happened. Shaq' and Kobe don't like each other and Shaq' doesn't like the Lakers. He thinks it shows everyone what happens when you trade the best player in the game. And it does. Look what happened to the Lakers after Shaq' left. The Lakers managment screwed the team and the city.</div>The management did not screw the team. They did what was best for the future. Not what was best for the present. If they'd have resigned Shaq, Kobe would be gone. That means, they'd have a good team now, but in a few years when Shaq is gone, they'd be screwed. By taking Kobe, they're set for now and later. He's a lot younger than Shaq and is in the prime of his career. Shaq is older and past his prime. They took the guy that was going to be there in the long haul, not short term. To me, they made the best choice. Kobe is overall, the better player. He's younger and will be around for years to come. Shaq is older and in the latter stages of his career. He's not as dominant as he once was and his health is an issue as well. Kupchak and co. did the best thing by choosing Kobe over Shaq. It doesn't show now, but wait til Shaq retires. Than you'll be glad Kobe is still here.
Moo I agree with most of your points and the fact Shaq needed to be traded. However, I was disappointed in what the Lakers received for him, especially after reading they didn't even have a blueprint in place before they decided to trade Shaq. Basically the Lakers created a logjam at SF, and assumed Odom would have the same success at PF in the West like he did in the East. They also tied up their ability to be a player in the free agent market this summer by taking on Grant's contract. There are a lot of role players available this year that could really help the team. Next summer Yao, Amare, and Nene will be free agents, but I don't think the Lakers will have a shot at any of them. I just find it hard to believe this was the best deal the Lakers could pull off for Shaq. When you give up that much size, you have to get something back in return. It just seems Mitch & Co.'s expectations for Malone and Divac to contribute this season lead them into a bad trade.
Well I just think it is really sad what the lakers got for Shaq. In fact I think its awful. For trading one of the greatest players in the history of basketball the lakers should not have giant holes in their roster like at point guard and power forward. The only place they should have a hole is at center. Thats not even to mention the fact that they are way over the salary cap. I can't grasp what lakers managemnt was thinking. They did a horrible job! That being said tho I do like what they got in butler and Odom. But they should not have taken grant and his contract. It seems to me like miami just guided this whole deal perfectly; instead it should have been the lakers who guided everything. It seems like the lakers made no plans at all and that was just stupid and I can't imgaine professionals making such a big mistake. So hopefully they have some ace u[ their sleeve that nobody has even thought about thats the only thing I can imagine. because there is no way a team should trade one of the greatest players and then have huge holes in their roster and on top of that be unable to sign any big name free agents for two years.
Some good posts by everyone I really think the Lakers should have gotten Butler, Odom, and Wade or even Eddie Jones instead of Grant.
With the luxury of watching the Heat this year an ideal trade would have been D. Wade+E. Jones+U. Haslem+L. Odom for Shaq. This would have given the Lakers a PG, SF, PF, and a 6th man. Imagine this lineup... PG - Wade SG - Kobe SF - Odom PF - Haslem C - Mihm 6th Man - Eddie Jones
Lineup <div class="quote_poster">Quoting shapecity:</div><div class="quote_post">With the luxury of watching the Heat this year an ideal trade would have been D. Wade+E. Jones+U. Haslem+L. Odom for Shaq. This would have given the Lakers a PG, SF, PF, and a 6th man. Imagine this lineup... PG - Wade SG - Kobe SF - Odom PF - Haslem C - Mihm 6th Man - Eddie Jones</div> That would have been a good lineup for the Lakers. I don't see why the Lakers didn't demand Wade along with Odom, Butler and Grant for Shaq'. Unless they wanted to get rid of O'Neal so bad they were afraid the Heat would reject that trade.
I'm sorry but even without seeing this seasons results I could have made a better trade then lakers management did. I think lakers got the first part right when tehy said they wanted to return to being the showtime lakers, and they did good in getting caron butler and odom but correct me if i'm wrong but you still need someone to distribute the ball don't you? On top of that you need some kind of inside presence at least save money up to steal a nice free agent from the market. I don't see how they could have been so stupid makes no sense.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Michau:</div><div class="quote_post">But thank God we have Mitch and because of his good work we got B Grant instead of Wade</div> You actually think that Mitch didn't want Wade. Miami had the leverage in the trade so the Lakers werent' going to get equivilant talent in any kind of trade. Mavericks don't wanna give Dirk cuz he is the future just like Kobe and Dwyane Wade. Cmon guys Mitch said himself too.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting pimpdaddy33:</div><div class="quote_post">You actually think that Mitch didn't want Wade. Miami had the leverage in the trade so the Lakers werent' going to get equivilant talent in any kind of trade. Mavericks don't wanna give Dirk cuz he is the future just like Kobe and Dwyane Wade. Cmon guys Mitch said himself too.</div> Well I know LA sure would be a lot happier without grant also Mitch should have forced miami to take Devaon George at least we would have unloaded the big salaries. All I know is that the Lakers were the ones who had something everyone else wanted they should have been the ones telling everyone else how it should have been done not teh otherway around.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Milkboiblue:</div><div class="quote_post">Well I know LA sure would be a lot happier without grant also Mitch should have forced miami to take Devaon George at least we would have unloaded the big salaries. All I know is that the Lakers were the ones who had something everyone else wanted they should have been the ones telling everyone else how it should have been done not teh otherway around.</div> Other teams knew that the Lakers were going to get rid of Shaq no matter what so they can re-sign kobe. the lakers were getting desperate. others teams also didn't want to have him then resign him with his contract.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting AA13:</div><div class="quote_post">I really do beleive Shaq' and his comments about what happened with the Lakers last year. Somebody broke the Lakers up and it wasn't Phil Jackson or Shaq'.</div> It was Shaq. Kobe didn't break up the team it was Shaq who left because he didn't get his contract. And Phil he just doens't like Kobe . It was never Kobe's fault
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">It was never Kobe's fault</div> it takes two to tango, three in this case. It was Shaq's, Phil's and Kobe's fault the team broke up, hell even add jerry buss to the equation.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting pimpdaddy33:</div><div class="quote_post">You actually think that Mitch didn't want Wade. Miami had the leverage in the trade so the Lakers werent' going to get equivilant talent in any kind of trade. Mavericks don't wanna give Dirk cuz he is the future just like Kobe and Dwyane Wade. Cmon guys Mitch said himself too.</div> I would have rather had SHAQ stay and play out his contract another year. Even if he would have left the following year... Better than BRIAN GRANTs CONTRACT IMO. SHAQ would have freed a ton of space after this season for free agents if he decided to up and leave like he did in ORLANDO. I never really cared for the trade. WADE and ODOM or nothing!
