So Shaq finally retired today. Should have been retired after his few years in Phoenix. Was kind of sad to see him bouncing around with teams.
Shaquille is a mixed bag for me. I remember hearing the second he agreed to be a Laker over on 570am; I was so excited that he was the first piece of Kobe/Fisher/Fox/Horry to be brought in that summer to be added to the core that I just ignored how he left with Penny/Horace/Hill. I remember 98 where the team had 4 all stars. I remember him playing Nick and Kobe agains one another to get him traded, and then actually going to management by Jerry West's admission and fighting the initial deal they had because he didn't want Jason Kidd on his team. I remember 99 coming around and him forcing Eddie and Elden out for his buddy Rice. I then think about 00 as his first year under Phil and first year in total shape and fully motivated to be the best player in the game on the way to the first title. In then remember him coming to camp the next year close to 400lbs and playing his way into shape, which is where he and Kobe butted heads publicly for the first time, but they squashed it and had the greatest postseason run in history. Then came the 3 peat in 02. Then in 03 he healed on company time, costing LA the chance to 4 peat as Kobe, Horry, George, Fox, Fisher, and Shaw all broke down or were out; Shaquille made waves in the locker room over Phil telling Kobe it was his team to lead heading into the first streak of 40pt games in his career, and upon their elimination by the Spurs he threw Fisher/Fox/Horry under the bus publicly to bring in more of his guys in Payton and Malone. 04 comes and he yells at Jerry Buss to pay him his money in front of the media while actually starting the first year of a $80M extension, he tells Kobe to not comeback to his team, and his own buddies in Karl and Gary call him out to the LA media for being out of shape and not delivering on what he promised. Then he gets shipped to Miami in 05 while taking a shot at Kobe and all three of the Buss family, also getting Stan fired. Then in 06 he wins a title and calls Phil, Benedict Arnold. He gets swept in 07 in the first round and begins to have a beef with Riley and Wade. 08 comes and the Heat can't even get 10 wins with him, so he seeks a buyout but is refused, and ends up being traded to the Suns where he talks up Nash and Amare, only to really be the cause of them getting beat in 5 that postseason. 09 comes and he plays great at the expense of the Sun team and wears out his welcome in that locker room. In 2010 he was going to wina ring for the king, but just divided the roster and undermined Mike Brown by accounts, while sucking in the playoffs. Lastly he finishes his career as a member of the Celtics, wher he really did nothing, but fool Ainge into breaking up "a starting 5 who has never lost a series". And along the way he asked Kobe how his butt tastes, made a love child pic of Dwight and Stan, and insulted Kareem.
I'll always love "The Diesel" who helped LA three peat, but he could have been so much more. Everywhere he has been he found a way to clash with guys, alienate cities and fan bases, and as a result he ended up becoming the Great Journeyman which is sad for a guy who if he actually gave a damn and took care of his body would have been the best player in the history of the game. Instead he is just a guy in the top 10 all time behind the two guys who he defined an era with in Kobe and Tim, and he doesnt even come close to touching Kareem's resume . Shaquille could have been so much greater, loved so much more, and remembered as a lifer in any of his first 3 teams but he just didn't have it in him to have an extended shelf life anywhere sadly.
: thought he would at least give a bullshit response in putting him over as a decent coach. Guess he didn't even try and beat around the bush since he obviously wanted Shaw to take over as coach.
