Shaq has nice things to say regarding Yao. ------ Shaquille O'Neal Interview All-Star Weekend 2004 Los Angeles Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal spoke with the media a few days before the 2004 NBA All-Star game, which is taking place in Los Angeles. Shaq is coming off the bench for the Western All-Stars. Yao Ming was voted by fans to start, ahead of him. Q: Another crazy week in Lakerland. What¡¯s your take regarding Kobe and Phil Jackson? Shaq: I really haven¡¯t been paying much attention. I know that this is sport first and a business second, and people have to do what¡¯s right for them. There are a lot of guys with a lot of different feelings -- if they want to stay or if they want to leave. I¡¯m sure everyone, at the end or their retirement, are gonna do what¡¯s right for them. Q: Has this been your most frustrating season, with so much hope in the beginning? Shaq: I wouldn¡¯t really call it frustrating. I kind of expected it a little bit. And when you expect it, you know how to prepare for it. When we lost a couple of games, the reason we were losing had nothing to do with what you guys were writing. So I just don¡¯t pay any attention to it. It¡¯s kind of fun, it¡¯s a kind of marketing. Because if you talk about us negatively or positively, you¡¯re still talking about us. So that¡¯s a form of marketing. Q: Did you foresee this (All-Star) as a kind of a break, and now instead you¡¯re going through a lot of what you¡¯ve been going through during the season? Shaq: Everything happens for a reason. I¡¯m used to it, I prepare for it. Like I say, at the end of the day, those in charge of their own destiny are going to do what¡¯s right for them and their family. Q: You said, like Michael, that you didn¡¯t want to play for another coach. Do you still hold to that? Shaq: I said that, that¡¯s what I said, and my statement still stands. Q: Do you see Yao Ming as replacing you as the most dominant center in the game? Shaq: Most dominant? No. Probably one of the greatest? Yeah. Most dominant is a term that, to me, it¡¯s all about banging, it¡¯s all about how you play and all about getting them to change the rules. I¡¯ve been here 10 years and I¡¯ve made them change the rules two times. Yao¡¯s a great player, he¡¯s a great sport. Being dominant is being mean, throwing elbows, talking trash, cursing and all that attitude (laughs). Will he be one of the greatest in terms of playing the game? Definitely.
So Shaq's definition of dominance is basically cheat so much that the refs eventually get used to it. Secondly, Francis and Mobley probably had a bigger hand in the zone rules changes than Shaq, though he likes to take credit for it.
It doesn't matter. Yao still has to prove himself on the court. But I understand what Shaq is trying to say. By the way, for Yao to even be considered for "greatest" anything, he has to win a chamionship. Everything else is just pudding....
Nice try Shaq, but the league didn't change any rules for you. If anything, yoy get away with more crap than anyone not named MJ.
Shaq would never call Yao the greatest player. Trust me. He said he has the potential to be one of the greatest players.
I always liked Shaq because he respected Hakeem and loved being compared to Hakeem. And Shaq definitely has game too. He's won the championship just like Hakeem. I'm sure the Magic losing to the Rockets and Hakeem was a great motivating tool for Shaq. So Yao, as great as he is already, still needs to earn that added respect. I hope the Lakers and the Rockets do meet in the playoffs for Yao to coninue his improvement of his game. Shaq and the Lakers seem to be a great motivating tool for the Rockets.
Shaq's changing. As what he said, he always prepares for things to come. This is a good way to give way to Yao.
One thing that is fun to do is go back and reexamine the stats from players that Yao was compared to during his rookie season...just to see how far Yao has progressed in just two years...he's not doing that bad... http://www.nba.com/playerfile/shawn_bradley/index.html (This is a wash!) http://www.nba.com/playerfile/rik_smits/index.html (Decent career stats; Yao MUST beat these stats!) http://www.nba.com/playerfile/arvydas_sabonis/ (Late starter in NBA) http://www.nba.com/playerfile/vlade_divac/index.html (Still the best passing big man) http://www.nba.com/playerfile/hakeem_olajuwon/index.html (Two Rings!) http://www.nba.com/playerfile/shaquille_oneal/index.html (Three Rings!) Yao has a way to go before he can be considered "great." That word is thrown around way too easily. Do the work first. Then let the achievements do the talking for you.
Shaq define dominant as street ball player, who do a lot of unsportman like play. Not much of a talent to me!! Yao will dominate and time will tell!
The two following quotes are from Laker forums. I agree with both of them. This should tell you what the Laker fans feel about Yao...they are starting to fear him. This is after the Feb 11, 2004 Lakers vs Rockets game.
Does Shaq seem to be getting more grouchy and unhappy as time passes? He just doesn't seem to be enjoying the game like he once did. The recent cursing session is an example. Ming will never be a "Shaq-like player," just totally different in personality and even physical attributes. Ming is learning to bang, but he is essentially a finesse player. If he becomes as good as Bill Walton, I will be happy. Don't laugh unless you have seen Walton play live. I have, and he had incredible skills. I watched him drop 30+ at the Summit one night over 20 years ago.
"...... In their matchup just before the all-star break, Yao scored 29 points to O'Neal's 24 in Houston's 102-87 victory, leading some to think the scales between those two aren't quite so tilted. O'Neal said people should not get carried away. "There can only be one most dominant and most dominant means they've got to double you, triple you every night and change the rules," O'Neal said. "That's a title that I'm going to have until I decide to give it away. Just because you score 29 on me doesn't make you a dominant player. You have to stop me from getting 29 on you, by yourself. Stop me by yourself, time in and time out. When you do that, you'll be the most dominant. That hasn't happened and probably won't happen." " http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A42722-2004Feb14_2.html
I always thought being dominant meant to be able to take over a game yourself not pound someone to the floor
and that's already progress Shaq has made from his mouth at least. although I seriously doubt how much credibility his comment has.
