<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">If the Seattle SuperSonics thought Miami Heat center Shaquille O?Neal was a load Monday in Miami, wait until O?Neal gets word of Sonics forward Danny Fortson?s comments about Sunday?s rematch in Seattle. Fortson, who guarded O?Neal for most of Seattle?s 98-96 victory that snapped the Heat?s franchise-record, 14-game win streak, was responding to a question about O?Neal?s complaints about Fortson flopping in the game. Upon hearing that, Fortson issued the 7-foot-1, who-knows-how-many-pounds O?Neal a challenge. ?You know something? That is a cop-out,? Fortson said. ?Write this down. If he can?t go out and bang, if he can?t get two or three feet underneath the basket, he is ineffective. ?My goal is to keep him out of the paint. That is not an easy task to do. That is easier said than done. But I am going to try to keep him out of the paint and see how good he is. ?I challenge him to take a jump hook. Take a couple jump shots. I bet you he can?t do that. Of course he is going to complain about flopping because he has to be inside to score buckets. If he doesn?t get inside to score buckets, he might as well give the ball to Dwyane Wade and move back.? In Monday?s game at Miami, starting center Jerome James picked up three quick fouls, and Sonics coach Nate McMillan inserted Fortson. Fortson drew a foul from O?Neal while he was going to the basket, completing a conventional three-point play. Then, 69 seconds later, Fortson drew a charging call on O?Neal by flopping, sending O?Neal to the bench for the rest of the first quarter. O?Neal played only six minutes in the quarter. It prompted O?Neal to complain after the game, ?Bill Russell and Bill Walton would be ashamed to watch this game, big men flopping around like that.? ?I don?t even know what he is talking about,? Fortson responded. ?He is the big man. He?s the one that wants to go out there and dunk on everybody, like he?s been doing. I?m not going to feel sorry for him. ?He is the biggest man in the world and he?s worried about guys flopping? That is kind of crazy, you know.</div> <font size="1">Full Story courtesy of Frank Hughes and the News Tribune.</font> Hmm, I'm not sure whether I like this or not. On one hand you've got Danny sticking up for the team, sending out the message that we're not going to be intimidated, but on the other hand, he's obviously going to piss Shaq off, which isn't the ideal thing. Although, Diesel will be hellbent on revenge anyway after losing in Florida. Bring it on, fam.
Well...okay. This may be a time where I have to pull for the Sonics, even though you're in the West. Fortson may have made a mistake, but if I see the two going at it, I hope to see Shaq airball some shots outside of 5 feet. Will Collison be starting again???
I doubt Collison will start, as Evans should be back in for this game. Lord I hope so, anyway, we need him on the floor.
Danny ain't backing down from anybody. Shaq hasn't played against someone who isn't scared to be physical w/ him. I hope Shaq continues to underestimate Fortson. He'll be in for a rude awakening when Danny starts throwing his (and Shaq's) body around. Should be very interesting.
Not the smartest thing to say by Danny. I remember before last season's opener between Dallas and LA, Fortson said that he could "Give Shaq fits", and Shaq abused him in that game. Shaq doesn't look at personal matchups as much as y'all might think; All he wants is the win. But you know damn well he's going to go hard at Fortson and dunk everything on his face. It'll be a good one, hope the Heat pull it out.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"> Shaq doesn't look at personal matchups as much as y'all might think; All he wants is the win. But you know damn well he's going to go hard at Fortson and dunk everything on his face. It'll be a good one, hope the Heat pull it out.</div> Next time you talk to Shaq, since you know how he thinks and all, ask him when he's gonna pay me my 15 bucks back. What a cheap guy.
LOL! I think that Danny was just backing his team up and we all know who is going to win this game...... The Sonics. I really dont think that the Heat can match up with Ray and Shard. I know that Wade will have an awesome game, but still if they cant stop us from shooting the j it is all over for them. I predict a Sonics win 107 - 100
Shaq rips back after Fortson's verbal attack http://msn.foxsports.com/story/3308408 LOL funny how Shaq doesnt know how to diss. Ey its 9ppg. Buddy. lol
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">In the first half, O'Neal was feeling so good he ran past the Sonics' bench and delivered some good-natured trash. But by the fourth quarter, Fortson was beating him to the ball and winning the fight for post position. "I just laughed (when O'Neal ran past the bench). I wasn't too much worried about that," Fortson said. "If I sit there and bite into that, then he wins the game and I wasn't going for that. I just laughed a little. "And those things he said a couple of years ago, I don't really care anymore. I got over it. I love Shaq. He's a great guy. Not only that, I admire him. As far as Shaquille's concerned he's going to be the greatest center of all time." At the end of the game, after the rest of his teammates had left the floor, O'Neal sought out Fortson and hugged him near midcourt. It was more than just a gesture. It meant something to Fortson. "It's an honor to say, 'Hey, I was out there playing with him,' " Fortson said. "I respect him. He's a great player. He has a good heart."</div> <font size="1">Full Story courtesy of Steve Kelley and the Seattle Times.</font>
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting TheNextJordan8:</div><div class="quote_post">Shaq rips back after Fortson's verbal attack http://msn.foxsports.com/story/3308408 LOL funny how Shaq doesnt know how to diss. Ey its 9ppg. Buddy. lol</div> i dunno man i think shaq was/is damn funny. And its true...why does he have to take shots from farther back...he's the man and Fortson is nothing. Shaq's dominant how he is, on his worst day he's great. Fortson has no place challenging Shaq to what he did. Not that i'm gettin on Fortson, its good that he's not a p***y, but Shaq's got a point. Why act tough after flopping.
What does Shaq expect players to do, though? He has a ridiculous size and strength advantage over anyone in the league, he knows perfectly well that if anyone tries to play him straight up he'll just dunk all over them and foul them out in 10 minutes. You've got to play Shaq the best way you can, and if that means taking a flop every now and then, so be it. Shaq can hack that, surely.
