I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Shaq is not as dumb we think. I love this quote: http://www.latimes.com/print/sports/20010426/t000035319.html O'Neal Will Try to Man-Handle the Opponent By TIM BROWN Shaquille O'Neal won't be entirely satisfied until he gets the ball again tonight. He has lived with missing 14 of 21 shots in Game 1 against the Portland Trail Blazers for four days, which is plenty. "I won't be trying to miss those again," he said. "You guys know how I get when I have a game off. I come in the next game [ticked] off. And now they're talking, so I'm really [ticked] off now. So, I've got something for them." He added that he'd play "a man's game." "If I'm going to fight you, I'd rather just beat you," he said. "If I can't beat you, I'll be a man and say I can't beat you. I'm not going to [cry about it]. . . . I'm the first guy to say that somebody is better than me. I was the first guy to say Hakeem Olajuwon beat me in the [1995] NBA finals. He killed me. He dominated me. I didn't go, 'Oh, he's traveling. They had experience. Wah-wah-wah.' I'm a man. Hakeem Olajuwon dusted my butt. These guys now are crying, 'Three seconds!' It's just funny to me." It didn't sound as if anyone was interested in talking O'Neal down. "I think Shaq plays well with an attitude," Laker Coach Phil Jackson said. "He plays behind his emotion well. He doesn't let it rule it and his determination." To me, the best part of the quote is that, imho, Hakeem didn't really dominate Shaq. Shaq didn't do half bad (ask David Robinson), and he still gives quotes like this. [This message has been edited by wrath_of_khan (edited April 26, 2001).]
Shaq has so much respect for Dream. I really believe that is one of the things that inspires Shaq is to get to Dream's level of domination someday. Shaq is one of the few NBA players that does have respect for his "elders". I like him for that.
to Shaq, anybody who plays him even statistically (and I think Dream may have had the edge here anywya), he will give props for. Shaq has always admired Dream as I think Dream mentored him in his younger years. They used to have the same agent. For this reason, I like Shaq. ------------------ "norm, would you like to buy an indian scalp ? This deal isn't gonna make or break me Norm, so don't jerk me around." Harry Carey "Norm, if I had a mohawk scalp, I wouldn't be sitting here talking to you."
I give Shaq his due. Hey he was always honest about admiring Dream's game. I think that Portland will have their hands full tonight. ------------------ "I may be mistaken, but I'm never wrong" -Barkley
I read Hakeem's autobiography and it tells how he actually trained Shaq, when he was in college. Shaq took some moves from his reperetoire and Hakeem likewise. ------------------ "I would like to live forever, because we should not live forever, because if we were ever supposed to live forever, then we would live forever, but we cannot live forever, which is why I would not live forever." -Miss Alabama in the 1994 Miss Universe contest
I read the book too. Hakeem also talked about Jabbar. In another book, some author claims that Shaq actually met dream and got his autograph when he was a lean kid in high school. Hakeem did not take notice of him then. Any one can tell me how Hakeem fared against Jabbar? I know Hakeem has good stats, but was the stats comparable to Jabbar's in head to head match? ------------------
I may ride shaq a lot because of his free-throws. but I have to admit, he has been humble when talking about Hakeem. I admire him for it. That quote isnt the first time he mentioned hakeem as great. Was Hakeem even playing center when Kareem A. J. was playing? When Sampson was around I think Hakeem played forward or something, didnt he? My mind is a little fuzzy about that... ------------------ "I didn't like jr. high when I was there. Why would I want to watch it on tv?" P. Mesku's opinion about "Survivor"
Hak was playing center back then with Ralph sliding to the 4. Abdul-Jabbar very much so on the downside of his career, so the match up wasn't very fair. It A.J. was in his prime, that match up would have been a classic. It's like comparing Duncan and Hakeem right now. Duncan is clearly the better player, although Hak still shows him a thing or two defending him. But that matchup would be a no contest if they were both in their prime. Hakeem would dominate him more so than the Admiral. ------------------
I am not trying to make comparison here. I have done that in other threads. I knew in WCF 85-86, Jabbar dominated Hakeem in the first game for 41 points; I just wonder if any one knows how they fare head to head in general in those few years. I knew Jabbar said Hakeem was the best defensive center he met in the last 10 years, while Hakeem said Jabbar had an amazing will to win. ------------------
I really really want to hate Shaq, because I just don't like the forceful way he plays center (too much Hakeem Olajuwon spoiled me), and I don't want him to get so good that he has a better career than Dream. But, damnit, quotes like these just make it impossible to hate the guy. He is one of the true players in the league that has respect for the game, and carries himself in a manner consistent with that respect. ------------------ Give me ambiguity or give me something else. [This message has been edited by RunninRaven (edited April 26, 2001).]
You people are pushovers! I get the feeling you would sleep with farm animals if they "mooed" or "oinked" in a complimentary tone. Shaq is nuts. For every praise he has for Hakeem there are 50 other completely ridiculuous quotes. For every humble gesture that he puts forth there are 50 other completely self-centered ones. He doesn't respect the "elders" of the game. He says great things about Hakeem that would seem to indicate he does, but he has complete hatred towards David Robinson who is one of the classiest players in the NBA. Who he respects means nothing because he has shown that he has no sense or judgement! I have seen him endanger other players more than once because he dwells so much on these respect/disrespect issues. I hope he never hurts anyone seriously by lashing out during a game.
At universal Studios, T-2, Shaq shows up and can hit FT's with the aid of Cyberdyne's new technology. Funny. I was in LA last week and finally got to check it out. t-2 was damn cool. I wish they made movies that way. Shaq was every bit as good as Dream in the Finals, but he lacked the heart to finish games. He's overcome that flaw. ------------------ humble, but hungry.
I consider SHAQ just a big kid.....and he really is a hell of a human being...I was really glad to see him win the ring last year. ------------------ You can put it on the BOARD.......YESSSSSSSSS! Chicago White Sox Announcer Ken Harrelson
Doctor Robert, Shaq doesn't like Robinson because David blew him off when he tried to meet him as a kid. He's held a grudge against him ever since. I think there might be more to the story, but that's all I know..... ------------------
heard a fan (non-rocket allegedly ) give someone a hard time because he didn't have Dream among his top ten players. He said "You have Jabbar, and Hakeem owned Jabbar." ------------------ "norm, would you like to buy an indian scalp ? This deal isn't gonna make or break me Norm, so don't jerk me around." Harry Carey "Norm, if I had a mohawk scalp, I wouldn't be sitting here talking to you."
You cover the Spurs don't you ? For the AAS ? ------------------ "norm, would you like to buy an indian scalp ? This deal isn't gonna make or break me Norm, so don't jerk me around." Harry Carey "Norm, if I had a mohawk scalp, I wouldn't be sitting here talking to you."
That's because Shaq hasn't been owned by DR before, he's still mad for losing the scoring title on the final day to DR's 71 points against the D-less Clips. ------------------ Do not harm little children!
Although i don't like the way he mumbles his interviews, Shaq was clearly humbled by Dream in the Finals. It's clear that Shaq respects Hakeem because he sure showed Shaq some moves and humbled him. Shaq only respects those whom he thinks is capable of matching up to him in terms to dominace of the game, so far, only Hakeem. ------------------ Do not harm little children!
I could care less if Shqa respects DR. Robinson may be an elder, but DR will never be mentioned as one of the greats of all-time. Yeah he was on the top 50 (I think?) but Shaq pays homage to Dream, who otehrs mentioned really showed him a thing or two in his early years. Shaq says some silly things, but my favorite player of all time (CB4) did the same thing. He's trying to be funny and not give the standard answer to every question (We played hard, it was a great play, he was on tonight, I wasn't playing well). So I personally like him and it doesn't affect me at all what he thinks about DR.
In an interview, oneal said that he didn't respect david robinson or patrick ewing anymore because david complained too much to the officials and patrick flopped in the paint. (although he did respect both before he started playing them.) That is one reason he respects hakeem because dream just kept coming after shaq even though shaq was the stronger of the two. ------------------ I am an invisible man.
