The following was pulled from the LA Times online edition. It's an article written by Steve Springer. It's funny how Shaq says the Lakers don't flop and Fox says they do. : http://www.latimes.com/sports/reports/2001/nbaplay/lat_shaq010611.htm ------------------------------ Monday, June 11, 2001 | Print this story O'Neal Issues a Challenge Lakers: Unhappy center, who was called for four offensive fouls, wonders why Mutombo refuses to play him like a man. By STEVE SPRINGER, Times Staff Writer PHILADELPHIA--It got pretty ugly between Shaquille O'Neal and Dikembe Mutombo in Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Sunday. O'Neal lashed out. Mutombo stood his ground. O'Neal took his best shot. Mutombo fired back. And that was just in the interview room after the Lakers had hung on to beat the 76ers, 96-91. The Lakers won despite O'Neal fouling out with 2:21 to play and his team clinging to an 86-84 lead. Laker Coach Phil Jackson called his players together as O'Neal headed for the bench and told them, "Go out there and play to win. Don't play not to lose." O'Neal should be used to early exits. It was the eighth time he has fouled out this season, six of those coming in the regular season. He also fouled out against the Sacramento Kings earlier in the postseason. But this time, after being called four times for offensive fouls, after bumping into Mutombo and watching the 76er center jerk backward as if he had been shot, O'Neal was fuming. "I didn't think the best defensive player in the game [Mutombo won that award this season] would be flopping like that," O'Neal said. "It's a shame that the referees buy into that. I wish he'd stand up and play me like a man instead of flopping and crying every time I back him down. It's just a shame." And just to make sure everyone knew his words were calculated to deliver a message, O'Neal added, "And you can quote me on that. And underline it three times." O'Neal also wanted to make sure everyone knew he felt the behavior was one-sided. "We have a very tough team," he said. "We play hard, we play good, clean basketball, we play good defense. There's no floppers on our team." Once more, in case anybody missed it, O'Neal punctated his remarks as he exited the interview room by adding, "Remember what I said." In case anybody failed to do so, Laker forward Rick Fox echoed his teammate. "I think Mutombo did a good job of flopping," Fox said. "You would have to, to fool a pretty good group of refs. "But that's part of the game. I think Vlade [Divac of the Kings] is also a pretty good flopper and we have a few of our own. "I guess if Mutombo feels he can't beat Shaq, he has to find other ways. With all that flopping, maybe he should be traded to L.A. and we can get him a few acting gigs on the side." The humor was lost on Mutombo, who acted as if O'Neal's remarks hurt as much as the Laker center's sharp-edged elbows. "I don't know how to respond," Mutombo said. "You know I have a lot of respect for Shaquille O'Neal. But for him, coming up and trying to accuse me of something, I think it's so ridiculous. "If you want to watch the game and . . . the entire NBA series, you can tell the team that's been doing it to the rest of the guys in the league. I think the big difference is, I'm just not one of them. I think that's why he said what he had to say. "I think he was trying to go an extra step and I think that's why the referee was paying more attention to what he was trying to do. Otherwise, they would let him play with the same thing he's been doing all year long. "I'm not afraid of him. He's a good friend of mine. I have a lot of respect for him as he has a lot of respect for me. But we are just in a war right now." A war that resumes on Wednesday night. Don't look for either side to stop taking their shots, both on the court and off. ------------------ "Light travels faster than sound, so some people appear to be bright until you hear them speak." -- Brian Williams (now Bison Dele) commenting on Isiah Thomas. [This message has been edited by Dr of Dunk (edited June 11, 2001).]
"We play hard, we play good, clean basketball, we play good defense. There's no floppers on our team." LOL. Good one. I guess he forgot about Rick Flop and Derek Flopper.
With most of the hits Mutombo took, he wasn't flopping. Shaq has to realize that it doesn't take much from him to send back a guy that he outweighs by 50 pounds. And how can Shaq say the Lakers have no floppers, when Derek Fisher is the king of flopping? ------------------
Not to mention Robert Floppy, Koflop Bryant and Shaquille O'Flop. ------------------ All hail Fadeaway's Cyberfish -- your 2000-2001 BobFinn* Fantasy Basketball League Champions!
Whiners! Even if he was flopping, the object of the game is to find a way to beat the other team. If getting Shaq fouled out will help your team, then it's what you do. Imagine if you got in a street fight with a guy that weighed 50 pounds more than you did, would you stand toe to toe with him, or would you look for a 2x4 to hit him up side the head? Very few can or will be able to play Shaq like a man (as he calls it), just because of his physical size alone. You might as well get used to it Shaq. ------------------
john stockton is the kings of floppers. altough derek fisher is pretty bad, he is about the same as allen iverson. ------------------ http://www.democrats.com http://www.zxcproductions.com/web/Abe/abe.html mgh 1924-2001
Derek Fisher is the master of flopping. He is the pre-eminent flopper in the. league today. Its easy to just fall backward when you get hit, but Fisher looks like he got hit with a shotgun, it takes amazing body control to flop like that. ------------------ "I always thought it was something that went around my house" - World B. Free on Defence
oh boy...my coworkers think I'm crazy now. That shotgun bit is hilarious! Come come now...DF isn't that bad... ------------------
I'm guessin' there are rules in the NBA, but there aren't in a street fight. But that's just a guess. ------------------ "Now it is more clear that it doesn't make sense. -- HeyPeeism at its convoluted best.
I don't know---double dribble and carrying the ball seems like it's legal for Iverson... ------------------
Just like it was for Jordan. The rule is "Superstars get the calls". ------------------ "Now it is more clear that it doesn't make sense." -- HeyPeeism at its convoluted best.
LMAO, any of you see when Derek Fisher flopped after getting nudged by Mutombo? He acted like he got hit 3 second after he really got "nudged". ------------------
Even Motumbo's teammate says those calls were bunk http://quote.bloomberg.com/fgcgi.cgi?T=life99_nba2.ht&s=AOyUughTWNzZlcnMn O'Neal has an unlikely supporter in Philadelphia's Matt Geiger. Geiger, a reserve center, said he and several teammates who were on the bench were surprised at some of the fouls being called on O'Neal, last season's league MVP. ``The last three calls were kind of iffy,'' he said. ------------------
<FONT COLOR = "Blue">And the saga continues...</FONT> http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/sports/bk/bkn/938111 ------------------ "Now it is more clear that it doesn't make sense." -- HeyPeeism at its convoluted best.
I can't believe Geiger said that. Anyone who could see close up the last foul called should realize that it wasn't really flopping by Mutombo, the dude got a Shaq elbow in the face. After that he had a hard time paying attention to guarding Shaq, and Shaq just backed him in faster than normal. If I get a hit in the mouth from an elbow belonging to a guy as big as Shaq, I fall backwards too. ------------------ CC.NET Sim League Web Page My Team (Sonics) Runnin', Ravin', Endin', Out.
"I have a lot of respect for him as he has a lot of respect for me." Doesn't sound like Shaq has too much respect for you Dikembe. ------------------
Shaquille Oneal commits more (uncalled) offensive fouls in the history of the game. When the rules were changed two years ago they took this into consideration. It is illegal to dislodge your defender from his position if your a post player. Shaq has to realize that he does this everytime he plays "powerfully" and moves towards the hole. There have been plenty of other powerful centers in the past. However, they have/had the amazing ability to use their power within the confines of the rules. To Shaq's credit, if he hasnt been called thus far, he should just keep bulldozing towards the basket. However, for him to call out the first defensive player who can actually play him straight up and gets the calls deserved is very dissapointing. I have always been a Shaq supporter (whereas I hate Kobe) and I thought he was more respectful of the older, wiser, talented NBA players (like he is towards Hakeem). These quotes are dissapointing. ------------------ I hope, when they die, cartoon characters have to answer for their sins. [This message has been edited by JayZ750 (edited June 12, 2001).]
Shaq is an awesume player, but this whining is pathetic. The last foul was clearly a foul, with 5 fouls he took a big chance and got called on it. Mutumbo and the 6ers haven't whined like the Bucks, Blazers and Kings. Mutmubo just goes out and battles the best he can--I really like the way he plays. Between Shaq's whining and Kobe's all-me-no-D game, I might have to start rooting for Phily. I might do this even though I don't like Croce, and I know they won't win because LA has too much for them. On the plus side, maybe the last game will end the NBA-out-to-coronate-the-Lakers theory, NOT.
Well, with Shaq I think it all equals out, or comes to his favor. The guy makes offensive fouls that don't get called at least half the times he touches the ball. ------------------
