“Kobe, tell me how my a** tastes?” This is something you think you’d hear from a Boston fan during game 6 of the NBA Finals. Alas, it was our old, over-sized, over-hyped, under-skilled friend Shaquille O’Neal. I’m not going to go through all of the details, if you want the specifics, google it. However, I will give you my opinion on the matter. I am, by no means, a Kobe Bryant fan. I thought he was guilty of sexual assault back in 04′, but he beat the rap. I think he was given the MVP out of sympathy for the being the best player to not have the award. And, I think that he is a horrible team leader, who needs to learn that demeaning other teammates is not the way to get their respect and admiration. But he didn’t deserve this verbal “freestyle” that Shaq “spit” his way.
Shaq has won only a single title without Kobe, and it was because Dwayne Wade carried him to it; however unlikely and physically impossible that may sound. I see this as an effort to take attention away from the fact that he guaranteed a title once he was traded to Phoenix. The public know just as well as he knows that he is over the hill when it comes to basketball. Sure he provides a big body and a large intimidating presence in the post, but he has not consistently made his hooks and lay-ups enough to ward any sort of title contention talk! Let’s not even talk about his free throws; I’m amazed at how so many players are God Awful at free throws! It is the easiest shot in the game!
Anyway, I don’t expect Kobe to retort to this because for all his faults, I will admit that he has matured significantly as a human being. He knows he has a family to support, and he knows that he does not want to get caught up in the negativity of the media like back in 04′. He does seem to keep a low profile, spending most of his time at home with his daughters and his wife, and this would just drag him back into the limelight that is Drama. If he does comment on this, however, I expect to hear something along the lines of him not caring or paying attention; or that he is just focused on the Olympics and getting back to the Finals next season. Which, in my opinion, is the way to handle it.
As for Shaq, after this embarrassing display of talent, or lack there of, he should be concerned with living up to his critics and getting Phoenix some home court advantage in next year’s Play-Offs! This trade has been recognized throughout the basketball world as a HUGE FLOP! And that Steve Kerr’s managing abilities are seriously questionable.
I would think that at this point in a player’s career, he would want to do nothing but draw positive attention to himself. You know, leave the game on a positive note. Maybe not as positive as winning a title, but positive to a point where the media and fans alike remember him for being a great center who dominated the paint, rather than a lumbering oaf who tried to rap while being liquored up! I feel sorry for Shaq that all he can come up with to occupy his time in the off-season is bashing a player he hasn’t played with in 5 years.
Come on Shaq, get Steel 2 in production, or maybe make another Shaq Fu game. Anything but this kind of crap! Seriously!
Submitted by: Mark Minguey
One reply on “When Shaq Attacks!”
chill out big guy I know you are passionate and everything but you really need to cut down on the exclamation points. It makes all your articles sound like rants and really distracts the reader. I won’t vote it down but I can’t vote for it either. Just think about that for next time.