Someone let Shaq speak and put it to press:
http://www.slamonline.com/magazine/features/Shaq82/
By Shaquille O'Neal (as told to Russ Bengtson)
You just don’t trade Shaquille O’Neal.
It’s that simple. Isn’t it? When you have the most dominant player in the League (and he’s still very much that), you don’t deal him. Nothing against Lamar Odom, Caron Butler and Brian Grant, but for Shaq? Are you kidding? These things simply don’t happen.
Only it did. The Lakers blinked, and so Shaq will start the season with “HEAT” and his age on his chest, revenge on his mind and motivation in his heart. This is a far different Shaq than the one who left Florida eight years ago, and the difference is more than 20 (or 30, or 40) extra pounds and three NBA championship rings. He may have averaged a career-low 21.5 ppg last season, but keep in mind that was on a career-low 14 shots a game.
The MDE will still be plenty dominant, though, due to the fact that the only other truly great centers around these days are in their 50s and 60s. The fact that Erick Dampier could be given credit for a great season after averaging 12 and 12 on a bad team—well, let’s just say Bill Russell was probably cackling his head off when he heard that. And this crazy summer should serve as extra fuel for the Diesel. But hey, why don’t we let him tell it? The rest of this story, like the world, is his.
Moving back to the East is actually a good change for me mental-wise, business-wise and personal-wise. Mental-wise, I just got kind of burned out in L.A., you know. With me in my last five or six years I just want to have something smooth, not this guy and this guy. Ever since I got there with young fella, it’s been one thing after another. So now I get to start all over and raise me another young point guard. You know what it’s like? It’s sort of like ancient karate movies. Think about it—the master trains his young disciple. Then when the young disciples get some balls, they think they can do better. I raised Penny, things happened, and I didn’t want to put up with it, so I wanted to start all over.
I got with this guy, same thing happened, so now I’m startin’ all over. But I think Dwyane Wade is gonna be a little bit different, because he wasn’t as noticed as these other guys. Dwyane Wade was a player that everybody slept on, but now they know he can play, and now I think it’s my job to get over there and teach him little secrets.
The Heat being able to get me and keep Dwyane? That’s how good I am—you know I have great general manager skills. I told them if I go somewhere, I’m going to a good team. I’m not a dummy. And then, business-wise, in the words of my boy Scarface, Miami is a city that’s waiting to get…You know what I mean? So I’m ’bout to bring about 10 to 15, 25 fitness centers out there. I’m about to get in the club business, get a club right on South Beach. I’m about to blow up. This is the kind of stuff that I wanted to do in L.A., but business-wise, real estate was way expensive out there, and everything was just overdone out there. I got a little production company, and American Airlines Arena doesn’t get used that much, but I’ve got people I can call—I can call up the Fat Joes and the Commodores and UFC and tell ’em to come down, I’ll be the promoter. Business-wise, I’m gonna take care of a lot of stuff.
Personal-wise, the wifey and them, they always wanted a house on the ocean in Florida. We always used to take a trip to Boca Raton. Boca Raton is like 20 or 30 minutes from Miami. So I was always contemplating whether to buy a vacation home in Boca, or even Vegas. I got to take care of all my needs in one whole summer.
And then, I think by coming to the East, I can add two to three more years to my career, because the West is loaded right now. Very loaded. I think I’ve got one or two centers that’ll give me—well, nobody’s gonna give me a problem—but one or two guys I really gotta get up for. Jermaine O’Neal and…uh…uh, s***, that’s about it. Bein’ that I’m back in the East, more mileage for the Diesel. And I get to come over here and dominate. There are, like, 15 seven-footers in the East and, like, one of ’em averaged over 10 points? I look forward to starting all over, I look forward to coming home and being home, and just going down there and taking over.
When I first started playing, I always thought that a guy like Shaquille O’Neal would be untradeable. However, if you look at the history of the game, sometimes it happens to the best of them. When Dominique Wilkins got traded, I was sick. When Patrick Ewing got traded, I was really sick. You know what I’m sayin’? When Jerry Krause didn’t want to take care of Mike, and fired Phil, I was very sick. So this tells me there’s no loyalty in sport, and I understand that. And being that you understand that, you know how to deal with it. I’m an Army brat—I’m used to movin’, I like movin’. And I just like to look at it like this: Agent O’Neal did a great job for the FBI in Los Angeles. His time is up there, and now he just has to relocate to Miami. I’m gonna miss all the friends and the family and all that, but this ain’t gonna break me, brother—it’s just gonna make me stronger. Nothin’ can break me.
I just want to win. I’ve always been a winner. When I first came in I did a lot of stuff, and the knock on me was that I wasn’t winning. But then I got three, and I’m just tryin’ to work on number four. So when I’m done playin’, hopefully I have five, six or seven. Right now my name is all over the NBA bible, so it’s just my opportunity to get a couple more pages. I mean, I can look in a book now and show my son stuff that makes me feel very proud, and makes them feel proud, too. ‘Look, I got 21,000, I did this, I did that, I got three rings.’ So, I don’t have really anything to prove, however, I’m gonna come in and do what I gotta do. Because when you doubt the Diesel? He puts it in fifth gear and he cuts his brake line. And I’m crashin’ through everything. And whoever’s in my way, they will get crushed. It doesn’t matter. So I like being doubted. Everything that’s happened to me this summer, ain’t nothin’ but motivation, baby. And everything happens for a reason.
Everything happens for a reason. I admit, I had it good, and I got kind of cute. We had our three rings and got kind of cute and all that stuff. But I don’t have any rings now. And you know what? I was ordered by the powers that be to get the MVP. And the last time I was ordered by the powers to get the MVP? I got it. So I’m just looking forward to starting over. A lot of people always ask, “Are you mad?” It’s not that I’m mad, it’s just that I figure a guy like Shaquille O’Neal would have gotten more respect in the way they dealt with that. I understand the business, I understand this, I understand that. All you need to do is come to me and say, “Hey, we’re looking to go in a new direction,” and I’ll say OK, this is where I want to go. Don’t try to have a conversation with me like I don’t know what’s going on.
And then they want to say, “He mad because he ain’t get the money.” Money ain’t got nothin’ to do with it. But when it comes to money, I know how much you are makin’, and I know how much to ask for, you know what I’m sayin’? And when it comes to money, if I’m gonna go in the office and do a deal for myself, I’m never gonna lowball myself. You know what I’m sayin’? If I feel that I’m worth a hundred, I’m askin’ for two hundred. So they tried to lowball in certain instances, and I was like, No, I’m not takin’ that. Then they [in gruff voice], “Well we’re gonna do this and we’re gonna do that.” But there’s no loyalty in this game.
But Goliath, baby. I am the modern-day B.I.G., the modern day Goliath. I am Shogun loved by no one.
But like I said, it’s all motivation. The one thing that I got is a big-*** head, with a big file cabinet in it. I file all that s***, baby. I sit here and I watch ESPN, and I know what you said, I know what you did, I know what you thinkin’, and I remember that. And I will get the last laugh. You know why? ’Cause I’m good, I’m righteous. I do everything right. And for them to do what they gotta do with a player like me, it just wasn’t done right.
My thing is, if you’re gonna be on the front line with me, and I’m gonna take the blame, you’re gonna have to do what I tell you to do, homie. All that, Hey, I need you to do this—I’m not like that. I’m not, You gotta blah blah blah, because I know what I gotta do to get you to fight. It’s just that when I was doing that in L.A. I didn’t have the backing from the organization because they were scared or something. I don’t know what they were scared of. Some guys are so smart that they’re dumb. Like, Mitch Kupchak will never be remembered for anything but what? Trading me. That was the dumbest move in sports history. Congratulations, Mitch.
For the rest of Shaquille O'Neal's article, pick up SLAM 82.
http://www.slamonline.com/magazine/features/Shaq82/
By Shaquille O'Neal (as told to Russ Bengtson)
You just don’t trade Shaquille O’Neal.
It’s that simple. Isn’t it? When you have the most dominant player in the League (and he’s still very much that), you don’t deal him. Nothing against Lamar Odom, Caron Butler and Brian Grant, but for Shaq? Are you kidding? These things simply don’t happen.
The MDE will still be plenty dominant, though, due to the fact that the only other truly great centers around these days are in their 50s and 60s. The fact that Erick Dampier could be given credit for a great season after averaging 12 and 12 on a bad team—well, let’s just say Bill Russell was probably cackling his head off when he heard that. And this crazy summer should serve as extra fuel for the Diesel. But hey, why don’t we let him tell it? The rest of this story, like the world, is his.
Moving back to the East is actually a good change for me mental-wise, business-wise and personal-wise. Mental-wise, I just got kind of burned out in L.A., you know. With me in my last five or six years I just want to have something smooth, not this guy and this guy. Ever since I got there with young fella, it’s been one thing after another. So now I get to start all over and raise me another young point guard. You know what it’s like? It’s sort of like ancient karate movies. Think about it—the master trains his young disciple. Then when the young disciples get some balls, they think they can do better. I raised Penny, things happened, and I didn’t want to put up with it, so I wanted to start all over.
I got with this guy, same thing happened, so now I’m startin’ all over. But I think Dwyane Wade is gonna be a little bit different, because he wasn’t as noticed as these other guys. Dwyane Wade was a player that everybody slept on, but now they know he can play, and now I think it’s my job to get over there and teach him little secrets.
The Heat being able to get me and keep Dwyane? That’s how good I am—you know I have great general manager skills. I told them if I go somewhere, I’m going to a good team. I’m not a dummy. And then, business-wise, in the words of my boy Scarface, Miami is a city that’s waiting to get…You know what I mean? So I’m ’bout to bring about 10 to 15, 25 fitness centers out there. I’m about to get in the club business, get a club right on South Beach. I’m about to blow up. This is the kind of stuff that I wanted to do in L.A., but business-wise, real estate was way expensive out there, and everything was just overdone out there. I got a little production company, and American Airlines Arena doesn’t get used that much, but I’ve got people I can call—I can call up the Fat Joes and the Commodores and UFC and tell ’em to come down, I’ll be the promoter. Business-wise, I’m gonna take care of a lot of stuff.
Personal-wise, the wifey and them, they always wanted a house on the ocean in Florida. We always used to take a trip to Boca Raton. Boca Raton is like 20 or 30 minutes from Miami. So I was always contemplating whether to buy a vacation home in Boca, or even Vegas. I got to take care of all my needs in one whole summer.
When I first started playing, I always thought that a guy like Shaquille O’Neal would be untradeable. However, if you look at the history of the game, sometimes it happens to the best of them. When Dominique Wilkins got traded, I was sick. When Patrick Ewing got traded, I was really sick. You know what I’m sayin’? When Jerry Krause didn’t want to take care of Mike, and fired Phil, I was very sick. So this tells me there’s no loyalty in sport, and I understand that. And being that you understand that, you know how to deal with it. I’m an Army brat—I’m used to movin’, I like movin’. And I just like to look at it like this: Agent O’Neal did a great job for the FBI in Los Angeles. His time is up there, and now he just has to relocate to Miami. I’m gonna miss all the friends and the family and all that, but this ain’t gonna break me, brother—it’s just gonna make me stronger. Nothin’ can break me.
I just want to win. I’ve always been a winner. When I first came in I did a lot of stuff, and the knock on me was that I wasn’t winning. But then I got three, and I’m just tryin’ to work on number four. So when I’m done playin’, hopefully I have five, six or seven. Right now my name is all over the NBA bible, so it’s just my opportunity to get a couple more pages. I mean, I can look in a book now and show my son stuff that makes me feel very proud, and makes them feel proud, too. ‘Look, I got 21,000, I did this, I did that, I got three rings.’ So, I don’t have really anything to prove, however, I’m gonna come in and do what I gotta do. Because when you doubt the Diesel? He puts it in fifth gear and he cuts his brake line. And I’m crashin’ through everything. And whoever’s in my way, they will get crushed. It doesn’t matter. So I like being doubted. Everything that’s happened to me this summer, ain’t nothin’ but motivation, baby. And everything happens for a reason.
Everything happens for a reason. I admit, I had it good, and I got kind of cute. We had our three rings and got kind of cute and all that stuff. But I don’t have any rings now. And you know what? I was ordered by the powers that be to get the MVP. And the last time I was ordered by the powers to get the MVP? I got it. So I’m just looking forward to starting over. A lot of people always ask, “Are you mad?” It’s not that I’m mad, it’s just that I figure a guy like Shaquille O’Neal would have gotten more respect in the way they dealt with that. I understand the business, I understand this, I understand that. All you need to do is come to me and say, “Hey, we’re looking to go in a new direction,” and I’ll say OK, this is where I want to go. Don’t try to have a conversation with me like I don’t know what’s going on.
But Goliath, baby. I am the modern-day B.I.G., the modern day Goliath. I am Shogun loved by no one.
But like I said, it’s all motivation. The one thing that I got is a big-*** head, with a big file cabinet in it. I file all that s***, baby. I sit here and I watch ESPN, and I know what you said, I know what you did, I know what you thinkin’, and I remember that. And I will get the last laugh. You know why? ’Cause I’m good, I’m righteous. I do everything right. And for them to do what they gotta do with a player like me, it just wasn’t done right.
My thing is, if you’re gonna be on the front line with me, and I’m gonna take the blame, you’re gonna have to do what I tell you to do, homie. All that, Hey, I need you to do this—I’m not like that. I’m not, You gotta blah blah blah, because I know what I gotta do to get you to fight. It’s just that when I was doing that in L.A. I didn’t have the backing from the organization because they were scared or something. I don’t know what they were scared of. Some guys are so smart that they’re dumb. Like, Mitch Kupchak will never be remembered for anything but what? Trading me. That was the dumbest move in sports history. Congratulations, Mitch.
For the rest of Shaquille O'Neal's article, pick up SLAM 82.
