Diesel Day in Miami....

[MrBug708]

Shaq is taking his old number, 32, in Miami now. It was the same for when he was in Orlando. 32 on the Lakers is retired I believed.

The mayor said that Shaq is the biggest Sports Icon in Miami then even Dan Marino, which kinda surprised me. He says he doesn't except Miami to not have a sold out game this year.

Shaq said it's Dwayne Wade's team and he'll defer. I guess Kobe isn't good enough to defer to?

[Kodos]

That seems like a bit of an overstatement. An aging center whose best days are behind him versus a guy who played his entire career in Miami and owns every major passing record in the NFL and who has given a lot back to the community in terms of charity work.

Hogwash.

[MrBug708]

If he does sell out the Heat stadium this year, it would be remarkable....

[Noop]

MrBug you change real quick man. When Shaq was winning titles for L.A. you were glad to have him now that he is gone you are aloof toward him. It is Dewayne Wade's team and the mayor is a dumbass who knows nothing because Dan Marino has a golden pass with everyone in Miami.

[Franklinnoble]

Hah. Marino's even a better actor than Shaq.

[WSUCougar]

Hah. Marino's even a better actor than Shaq.
OUCH

[Kodos]

But Shaq is a better actor than Brett Favre. Favre can't even play himself convincingly (Something About Mary).

[Franklinnoble]

You're kidding, right.

I mean, did you see Steel? Kazaam? Blue Chips? Or are you basing your opinion on his All Sport and Radio Shack commercials?

[Kodos]

I've seen Blue Chips. I guess playing a basketball player wasn't much of a stretch.

I was mostly making fun of Favre's acting, although he did well in his Monday morning quarterback commercial last year. :)

[Eaglesfan27]

I loved Shaq's statement today where he said he has never played with a special guard before and he was looking forward to playing with a special guard who knew how to be a good teammate (referring to Wade.)

[Franklinnoble]

Well, with Shaq leaving the Lakers, Vlade leaving the Kings, and Nash leaving the Mavericks, my dark horse favorite for the West right now is Phoenix.

I think with Stoudemire, Nash, and Marion, they are going to be very tough to beat.

[heybrad]

I loved Shaq's statement today where he said he has never played with a special guard before and he was looking forward to playing with a special guard who knew how to be a good teammate (referring to Wade.)
Typical Shaq... out of one side of his mouth he says how professional he is, out of the other side of his mouth he continues to trash Kobe and the Lakers.

[pennywisesb]

Well, with Shaq leaving the Lakers, Vlade leaving the Kings, and Nash leaving the Mavericks, my dark horse favorite for the West right now is Phoenix.

I think with Stoudemire, Nash, and Marion, they are going to be very tough to beat.
I think you are looking past the Warriors Franklinnoble. ;)

[clintl]

Well, with Shaq leaving the Lakers, Vlade leaving the Kings, and Nash leaving the Mavericks, my dark horse favorite for the West right now is Phoenix.

I think with Stoudemire, Nash, and Marion, they are going to be very tough to beat.

Vlade leaving the Kings is certainly not a positive, but it was going to happen in a year or two, anyway, and is the reason they traded for Brad Miller last year. The Kings will be fine. Miller, Peja, and Webber will still be one of the best front courts in the game.

[Anthony]

Typical Shaq... out of one side of his mouth he says how professional he is, out of the other side of his mouth he continues to trash Kobe and the Lakers.

especially since at the height of his game Penny Hardaway was a much better player than what Wade will ever be. i'm not sold on him just yet. i'd take Steve Nash over Wade every day of the week. Wade is a good player, but in my mind he's no better than Mike Bibby - a classic point guard who, when needed, will morph into a Gary Payton in his prime and carry the Kings.

that comment by Shaq just shows how bitter he still must be.

[Suicane75]

especially since at the height of his game Penny Hardaway was a much better player than what Wade will ever be. i'm not sold on him just yet. i'd take Steve Nash over Wade every day of the week. Wade is a good player, but in my mind he's no better than Mike Bibby - a classic point guard who, when needed, will morph into a Gary Payton in his prime and carry the Kings.

that comment by Shaq just shows how bitter he still must be.


Or perhaps it shows just how much a whiny little me, me, me bitch Kobe Bryant is.

[MrBug708]

Or perhaps it shows just how much a whiny little me, me, me bitch Kobe Bryant is.


Noop, I'm a Laker fan, not a Shaq fan.

Suicane, if Kobe is so me, me, why did Shaq want to leave? Kobe never forced him out.

[Franklinnoble]

I think you are looking past the Warriors Franklinnoble. ;)
Umm... yeah, I'd be breaking with a long, proud tradition if I didn't look past the Warriors.

Vlade leaving the Kings is certainly not a positive, but it was going to happen in a year or two, anyway, and is the reason they traded for Brad Miller last year. The Kings will be fine. Miller, Peja, and Webber will still be one of the best front courts in the game.

Peja hasn't been able to get it done in the playoffs, and no one can predict what the departure of Vlade will do to him. Miller is solid. Webber might be done. At best, he's not going to be more than 85% of the player he once was, and with all that considered, I don't think they have one of the best front courts in the game.

I don't doubt that the Kings will be a playoff team, but I do doubt they will contend for the conference title. They just haven't gotten any better in the off-season.

Now, if you suppose that Songalia takes a big step forward, and Adelman has the balls to give him some of Webber's minutes, and Jackson, Bibby, and Christie stay healthy, and Peja emerges from the shadow of his Serbian big brother to come into his own, then, maybe. But that's a lot of "ifs."

[Suicane75]

Noop, I'm a Laker fan, not a Shaq fan.

Suicane, if Kobe is so me, me, why did Shaq want to leave? Kobe never forced him out.


Um........maybe because he was tired of Kobes antics? Maybe because Kobe whined and bitched all year about Phil Jackson? Maybe because he believes that without him Kobe wouldn't be half the player people think he is and he's tired of it? Maybe because despite all of Kobes primadona attitude the Lakers front office still want him instead of Shaq?

[MrBug708]

Um........maybe because he was tired of Kobes antics? Maybe because Kobe whined and bitched all year about Phil Jackson? Maybe because he believes that without him Kobe wouldn't be half the player people think he is and he's tired of it? Maybe because despite all of Kobes primadona attitude the Lakers front office still want him instead of Shaq?

What did Kobe say about Phil?
Maybe Kobe wouldn't be half the player without Shaq? You mean he still wouldn't see double teams?
Kobe might be a primadonna, but he's been quiet about most of it and everything else is mindless speculation. Shaq's been the baby during this whole situation, Kobe hasn't.

[MrBug708]

Dola

Kobe has 12 years to win a title without Shaq to prove he made Shaq. Shaq probably has one year to prove he can win a title without Kobe. Kobe has no pressure, Shaq has it on him.

[Suicane75]

Dola

Kobe has 12 years to win a title without Shaq to prove he made Shaq. Shaq probably has one year to prove he can win a title without Kobe. Kobe has no pressure, Shaq has it on him.

Ive always been neutrel when it comes to the Lakers because i really have no knowledge of the inner workings of the team, being that im in NJ. But last week on Mike & The Mad Dog they had an NBA insider or announcer (don't remember who it was but i remember that i was interested in hearing him talk, it was someone I respected) and he really ripped Kobe big time, saying that Kobe was a cry baby all year & totaly disrespected Phil Jackson. He told a story about Shaq throwing a BBQ and Kobe showing up in a 3 piece suit, just a general aloofness or a desire to present himself as a Jordanesque type figure.

The most damning part for me was when he related a story about asking someone in the Lakers organization about Kobes rape case and he said that the person he talked to said that he found totaly within the realm of possibility that Kobe was guilty. That really shocked the hell out of me.
I'm not one to base his whole opinion on 1 interview or 1 reporters point of view, but that interview really stuck with me and made much more sympathetic to Shaq.

[MrBug708]

So two "insiders" make him out as a bad guy, so he must be? For every good story, there is a bad story.

[heybrad]

If you need to find a story to distance yourself from Shaq as well, just remember that he was the only member of the entire Laker organization who did not attend Chick Hearns funeral.

I dont know if Shaq was forced out or not. I do know that he was offered an extension to keep him a Laker and the highest player in the league. He wanted more money. Phil Jackson wanted an extension for 12 mil a year. Buss wouldnt pay it.

If I went by just what the local papers reported from their "sources", Pat Riley would be the Laker coach and Dirk would be a Laker. Most of these writers and talk show guys with their "sources" are full of shit.

[mckerney]

What did Kobe say about Phil?


"I don't like Phil as a person..."

[MrBug708]

"...but I respect him as a coach."

I finished it for ya

[Suicane75]

So two "insiders" make him out as a bad guy, so he must be? For every good story, there is a bad story.

I'm not saying that, what I said was that it was a person whos opinion I respected, of course it doesn't help my cred that I don't remember who it was :(

[mckerney]

"...but I respect him as a coach."

I finished it for ya

Adding something positive afterwards doesn't take away anything negative.

[Eaglesfan27]

Interesting news: Karl Malone is listing Miami as one of his top choices assuming his knee holds up in rehab. Also, Robert Horry is talking about wanting to rejoin Shaq. I would post a link, but my browser is acting wierd. Anyway, it's on Fox Sports News national website.

I think the popularity of Shaq among players is much higher than Kobe's and Miami may reap more "extra" benefits from having Shaq than some first thought.

[MrBug708]

Well, Malone said he'll go back to the Lakers, Heat, and Spurs. Malone has a bond with both Kobe and Shaq. As for Horry, i think Horry would play for the same 3 teams and Houston. I mean, you are talking about former teammates going towards Shaq, no tother players right now

[Chief Rum]

Although I am a Clips fan before a Lakers fan, every here knows I support the Lakers in the playoffs (given no other local option, of course).

From what I have seen, there are plenty of reasons to dislike both Kobe and Shaq.

Shaq is being a complete ass, and to be honest, that kinda goes with his general attitude throughout his time in LA. He's an arrogant jerk at times, that has the ability to soften it up by making a good joke. He has hidden that well, but it's clear the guy has no work ethic whatsoever, and continues to rely on his physical talent alone, rather than working on his game. He believes he is the center of the universe, not just a basketball team. He is all about the money, too, and will take more money over a championship any day of the week. He shows respect for no one, except perhaps Phil Jackson, but he expects to be respected by everyone. His continued potshots at the Lakers show the kind of petty person he is.

After saying all that, whose side am I on? Shaq's. Ugh. That just goes to show you the quality of these guys. From what I hear, Kobe is indeed a primadonna of the worst kind who insists it is his way, or no way at all. He is an egotistical glory hog and a control freak. He is obsessed with meeting the media-anointed predictions of him becoming the greatest NBA player of all time--and he believes it is entirely deserved that the media has done so. The guy plays a complete "all me" game on the floor, and shows no budge at all in working teammates into his game.

Oh yeah, and he might be a rapist, too.

I'm not a fan of either of these guys, and I am glad to see the Lakers finally move on from the duo (although they missed out on Kobe moving on). I'm sick of that circus, and I have to hear and read about this crap every day, thanks to my locale.

The constant, stupid in-fighting among the Lakers has turned me off even more from basketball than I was three years ago (when I was already turned off by the falling fundamental skills of the average pro basketball player, the gang-image of some of the players, and the showmanship over quality emphasis of the NBA).

CR

[Suicane75]

Tom Friend was the guy I was listening to, finaly came to me.

[hoosierdude]

What I am surprised about is no one commenting on Shaq's spelling ability....from that same conference.

I got a laugh when he butchered a simple word. Yeah I will take you seriously NOW, Diesel!