LOL.. Shaq has a book forthcoming??

[ex carrabba fan]

Re: LOL.. Shaq has a book forthcoming??

It all depends on the team I believe. If you have a team full of vets you have to know which buttons to push and when to push them.

I don't think it's really anything crazy to say that Riley is one of those coaches who worked his players the hardest. He had great results, obviously.

[Dice]

Re: LOL.. Shaq has a book forthcoming??

You see MJ come to the league and says he didnt care who picked him because he was just happy to be in the NBA

Fastforward to now, or guys like Steve Francis, or lack of a better name Kobe who demands they wont play unless traded to this or that team, up to guys now who will sit out til they're traded to their team of choice

Magic Johnson did admit that he would have went back to Michigan State if the Bulls would have gotten the first pick in the 79 Draft.

[23]

Re: LOL.. Shaq has a book forthcoming??

Yeah but he didn't and that wasnt a common theme in his day is what im saying

I never heard him say Riles was too hard on them...actually seemed like he loved playing for him

[Dice]

Re: LOL.. Shaq has a book forthcoming??

Yeah but he didn't and that wasnt a common theme in his day is what im saying

I never heard him say Riles was too hard on them...actually seemed like he loved playing for him

But what I'm saying is that Magic was that player who was a coach killer(Paul Westhead), whined about his deal when someone else got a better deal(Kareem when he got his contract at 38 years old) and him saying that he wasn't going to play for the Bulls if he got selected.

There probably wasn't as many players who harbor the attitude of today's players BUT there were more than we thought. And Magic Johnson was one of those guys. We don't know about this stuff because back then there was no social media sites, 24-sports reporting nor the Internet. Everything you knew was in the news paper or the 9 o'clock news.

If Magic was playing today, he'd would have been treated just like Kobe.

[ex carrabba fan]

Re: LOL.. Shaq has a book forthcoming??

But what I'm saying is that Magic was that player who was a coach killer(Paul Westhead), whined about his deal when someone else got a better deal(Kareem when he got his contract at 38 years old) and him saying that he wasn't going to play for the Bulls if he got selected.

There probably wasn't as many players who harbor the attitude of today's players BUT there were more than we thought. And Magic Johnson was one of those guys. We don't know about this stuff because back then there was no social media sites, 24-sports reporting nor the Internet. Everything you knew was in the news paper or the 9 o'clock news.

If Magic was playing today, he'd would have been treated just like Kobe.

It's not just Magic...

I would wager that a number of these guys from the past would be looked at way differently in this age. MJ, Thomas, Barkely, etc. etc....

All of these guys have their flaws, past and present.

[wwharton]

Re: LOL.. Shaq has a book forthcoming??

It's not just Magic...

I would wager that a number of these guys from the past would be looked at way differently in this age. MJ, Thomas, Barkely, etc. etc....

All of these guys have their flaws, past and present.

All true but getting a bit OT. The point is Riley had no worry about treating players like machines because it wasn't abnormal. He may have pushed them harder than others but others pushed too, and it was normal for players to just do what the coach said no matter what. That definitely wasn't just "taken" across the board but the majority of players did, and even some that may have had objections bit their tongue bc they would've been the outcast. Today, it's common place to go off on the coach, try to get the coach fired, complain to the owner or league if the coach is pushing too hard, etc, etc.

[Dice]

Re: LOL.. Shaq has a book forthcoming??

It's not just Magic...

I would wager that a number of these guys from the past would be looked at way differently in this age. MJ, Thomas, Barkely, etc. etc....

All of these guys have their flaws, past and present.

For sure.

What would we think of Barkley now if we could remember how towards the end of his time with the Sixers how he complained about his treatment with the Sixers and how he admonished the fans back then to a point of calling them racist. NOW, I can understand his plight because Sixer fans can get a little obnoxious BUT when he tries to spit on a fan in New Jersey and the spit hits a little girl, he just dug his own grave on that one. Then had the nerve to demand a trade in 1992. Barkley would have made Kobe now look like a law biding citizen.

And how about hall of famer Adrian Dantley? A guy who in his first four years was traded to four different teams because of his attitude. Then when he plays on the Pistons and gets a chance to play for a contender in the first time in his career, he tries to sabotage their championship run by refusing Chuck Daley's request of giving up some of his minutes to Dennis Rodman. That's why he got shipped out of Detroit in 1989 and they went to win the title.

The attitudes of the old time players are relatively the same. Their weren't as many knuckle-heads and the players back then were better. But let's not kid ourselves in this.

[ex carrabba fan]

Re: LOL.. Shaq has a book forthcoming??

All true but getting a bit OT. The point is Riley had no worry about treating players like machines because it wasn't abnormal. He may have pushed them harder than others but others pushed too, and it was normal for players to just do what the coach said no matter what. That definitely wasn't just "taken" across the board but the majority of players did, and even some that may have had objections bit their tongue bc they would've been the outcast. Today, it's common place to go off on the coach, try to get the coach fired, complain to the owner or league if the coach is pushing too hard, etc, etc.

Completely agree. Riley coached in two completely different eras

I think we all agree that Riley was big on fitness. That's what I was initially getting at. I think he's one of the more noted coaches for working his guys and didn't think it was a secret.

[bigeastbumrush]

Re: LOL.. Shaq has a book forthcoming??

No doubt about it. Riles is a hall of fame coach so I don't think anyone will question his methods.

But in regards to his days with the Lakers, his practices was real ruff. But back then, I've yet heard anyone complain in a negative way about his style. This attest to my belief that the players in the 80's were built a little tougher.

Wasn't Riley sporting a black eye when he was coaching the Heat and everybody said Zo lit him up in practice.

I can't be the only one who remembers that.

[RedSceptile]

Re: LOL.. Shaq has a book forthcoming??

I'd just say the Coaches could get away with running a program closer to how it's done in college... or like a boot camp even , and guys would take it.

I highly doubt a majority of these players could make it through a week, let alone a day of bootcamp. Hell I'm pretty sure most of them would crack just from going through processing lol let's not hype them up that much!

[VanCitySportsGuy]

Re: LOL.. Shaq has a book forthcoming??

So I'm guessing this book won't touch the Shaq Crips/Robbery/Sex Tape story........

I have to admit the excerpts have been really good. I might have to pick this up for my Kobo.

[ProfessaPackMan]

Re: LOL.. Shaq has a book forthcoming??

Shaq speaking on Duhwight:

Dwight Howard is by himself. If he doesn’t get four rings, I’ll be disappointed in him. There’s no one for him to go up against. When I was playing I had [Patrick] Ewing in his prime. I had Rik Smits, Arvydas Sabonis, Alonzo Mourning, Dikembe Mutumbo. I had Vlade Divac, Kevin Duckworth. I caught some of David Robinson. [Greg] Ostertag. Guys with size. Now, I couldn’t name five centers.

Dwight Howard and I don’t really have a relationship. I don’t like people who lack originality. The whole Superman thing doesn’t work for me. … It’s kind of weird how he’s handled his career. He wants to be Superman. They’re talking about him going to L.A. when his contract is up. When I go back to the Orlando area in the offseason, they are doing all the same things for him they did for me. But that’s a mistake. He’s Dwight Howard. He’s not Shaq. Be your own man. Create your own brand.

I do feel for him sometimes. It’s all on his shoulders, just like it was all on mine, and when he doesn’t get it done he’s the one standing there trying to explain, even though he put up huge numbers. Nothing changes in the NBA. It’s not always fun being Dwight Howard, but if you call yourself The Man, well, you gotta deal with it.

[Playmakers]

Re: LOL.. Shaq has a book forthcoming??

I don't agree with him

Kobe started off shooting airballs in the playoffs so talking to some vets about scoring the most points and all of that is garbage

Secondly, I dont care what these kobe fans say about Shaq, he simply dominated the league and was the main reason they won those rings because he was unstoppable.. I dont care about all this work ethic garbage they're spewing, the dude tore through the league into 3 finals MVPs.. I could care less about woulda coulda shoulda's.... just the facts.

Kobe has a knack for snitching and going into the media to take shots at guys then turn around and grovel when someone isnt on his train... give me a break..but thats his personality, what I dont care for is how his homer fans always try to defend his crap

The whole kobe is a leader thing only applies if his team wins...beyond that, its always everybody else's fault. The guy was shut down in the finals, ranted on teammates and the owner and GM in the media, had a team with no comraderie who didnt even talk to him, and he quit on them right in the middle of a playoff series and you're calling that leadership? pfft

I've never understood how anyone can call Kobe a leader....being a great player doesn't make you a leader and Kobe has never demonstrated leadership traits in his entire NBA career.

I think he would make a great actor on of those reality shows

[ex carrabba fan]

Re: LOL.. Shaq has a book forthcoming??

I've never understood how anyone can call Kobe a leader....being a great player doesn't make you a leader and Kobe has never demonstrated leadership traits in his entire NBA career.

I think he would make a great actor on of those reality shows

Who really considers him an above average leader though?

As far as saying he's never displayed leadership his entire career, that's quite the ridiculous thing to say.

2007-2008 season til currently, he's displayed quite a bit of leadership. Does that make him an exceptional leader or a guy who should be looked at as the ideal leader? Probably not.

Saying never though?

I guess the year he won MVP and got his newly formed team to the finals was just some fluke. He only made it back to the finals two more times after that season. He's been all you could ask for over the past four seasons.

Some people really take things way too far. It's quite astounding.

[King_B_Mack]

Re: LOL.. Shaq has a book forthcoming??

Who really considers him an above average leader though?

As far as saying he's never displayed leadership his entire career, that's quite the ridiculous thing to say.

2007-2008 season til currently, he's displayed quite a bit of leadership. Does that make him an exceptional leader or a guy who should be looked at as the ideal leader? Probably not.

Saying never though?

I guess the year he won MVP and got his newly formed team to the finals was just some fluke. He only made it back to the finals two more times after that season. He's been all you could ask for over the past four seasons.

Some people really take things way too far. It's quite astounding.

In fairness, that's not displaying leadership though. Allen Iverson went to the Finals and won an MVP, that doesn't mean dude was showing he could potentially be a leader. You can do that stuff off pure talent. Hell LeBron in Cleveland getting to the Finals doesn't show his leadership capabilities, but it does show the dude can ball when he wants to. If we're going to talk up the Bean showing leadership then lets do a little more than say he made it to the Finals so he's a leader.