Big Diesel had a 30 point, 20 rebound performance last night against a team that has traditionally given him a very hard time (the Bulls swarm him, push him around, and just generally play him very physical, and tend to do a better job at it than most teams in the league). They showed a chart last night that showed Shaq was behind only Sir Charles in terms of the oldest players to ever record a 30pt, 20rb game. Do you guys think Shaq will have another one of those before his career is over with? The strange thing was that he did it last night with a lot more finesse than overwhelming power, he showed more of his 'arsenal' than sheer power, used his versatility and quickness a lot more than he has in recent years. I don't know why, but I guess I have always had a soft spot for dominant big men. Truth is, these guys aren't very well-liked, the refs are usually doing everything they can to limit them and 'even the playing field', and that just seems to have always been the case. Very few everyday kids and fans of basketball grow up saying "I want to be the next Kareem, Shaq, Hakeem, Russell, or Wilt", the fans are naturally bias towards guards (i.e. the MJs, the Kobes, the T-Macs, AIs, etc.) I guess what I am saying is this: I love the 'Big Man' game and feel like it has been in serious decline for the past decade or so, and the league seems to be moving away more and more from that despite the overwhelming evidence that your best road to winning championships is through a dominant big man. With every passing year, I find myself more and more appreciative of guys like Shaq as their careers draw to an end. I find myself hopeful that guys like Yao, Dwight Howard, and may be even Chris Bosh will help carry the mantle for the dominant centers and of this generation of NBAers. I know not many will probably share this, but once it's all said and done, I am going to miss Shaq, and I think I will find myself more appreciative of Yao's game as he enters his prime with our beloved hometown team. But I don't think we will EVER again see a great center who will possess Shaq's unique combination of talent, agility, smarts, and greatness. On a sidenote, I thought it was classy what he said following the game about Tiger's dad and how sons should always appreciate their fathers...you could tell he was sincere.
