Of course Shaq isn't impressed. I mean whatz so impressive about a big guy who only shoots 80% from the FT line, speaks of the word 'team' during every interview instead the word 'me',only carries the hopes of 1.3 billion people, has zero illegitimate children, and plays for his country despite the hardship. Frankly we should all be more impressed with a guy who can't speak in complete sentences despite 30 years of practice, can't hit a FT despite 20 years of practice, can't keep his weight down for his team despite 10 years of being a ******, can't keep his pants on despite already having 3 offsprings from 3 different groupies in 3 different cities. Shaq, frankly, the only people that look up to the likes of you are the Olive Millers of this world.
Shaq, you were right on the money. I hope Yao heard what you said and maybe build some actual balls to his game.
Hakeem vs Shaq is kind of like Russel vs. Chamberlain. People who loves to watch And1 and Wrestling will pick Shaq and Chamberlian but bball fundamentalist will go with the Dream and Russel. As for your point of Shaq's animus being from the unfair comparisons from the media, I agree with you, Yao's game on the court is nowhere near Shaq's but on the same token, I don't see Yao spewing words of hatred toward Shaq despite Shaq's racist comments from the day Yao was drafted. If Shaq has his reasons for being irate when the name 'Yao' is brought forth during an interview, then Yao should seemingly have the same chip on the shoulder when the name 'Shaq' comes up. Yet Yao has had nothing but good thing to say about Shaq. I can't believe the guy is 34 and still so immature. Note to Bill Russel: stay in the US; you have your work cut out for you.
thats exactly what hakeem did in the closing seconds of game 4 of the 1995 nba finals when they swept the magic 4-0. remember that?
Shaq showed respect for the Dream out of respect for his game/seniority in the league. Besides, Dream was a great player back then, and Shaq was a torturing opponents from his first day on the court, and Yao is struggling in his third year already, so by no means is Yao deserving of being put in the same breath as a young ring-less Shaq, even when Shaq was a rookie. Similarly, Yao can't be compared to the Shaq of now either. Bringing Shaq's personal life into the comparo is a cheap tactic and really validates my point: you think it is the only way to give Yao/Hakeem an edge, is by comparing their personal lives. Stat-wise, Shaq is more dominant than Hakeem, he forced change to the game and NBA rules JUST to deal with his size and dominance in the paint. Hakeem had more flair, and he was a lot more fun to watch. But while Hakeem would take an hour to do the "Dream Shake", Shaq would have saved time and stuffed it home by then. I am not saying one style is better than the other, but rather that power is more effecient than finesse (higher FG% etc.), and it creates much more problems when you can rattle the rim rather than shoot an 18-footer or do a nice looking Dream Shake. Also, Shaq has 3 rings (possibly more in the future), Hakeem has two. So again, I think they are in the same class of centers (with Robinson and Ewing a step or two behind, and Chamberlain and Jabbar a step ahead). However, make no mistake about it, Shaq is more dominant than Hakeem, but Hakeem is more skilled and more fun to watch. But really, I don't want to compare Shaq and Hakeem (they are very different players, and to each his own), I would rather stick to the current topic of Yao and Shaq. BTW, Shaq can say anything about Yao he wants, until Yao proves himself in this league and starts winning ringsm he can do the same. The difference is Shaq has backed it up and has the legitimacy to say whatever he wants, and Yao will (hopefully) one day be able to do the same to another younger up-and-coming Center. Still, please don't compare both, it is nauseating
BTW, I am old enough to have watched Hakeem from his early years, so I think I have a good grasp on how good he is. Of course, when you have brought the only two championship parades that Houston has ever experienced, then you have mesmerized people enough for them to forget your shortfalls. Still, I would pick Hakeem over anyone else just because I loved watching the guy, but if I was a GM and making logical decision for my franchise, I would have to give Shaq the edge, simply because the Center position IS a power position, and that is how every coach would want it to be played. (Unless you are Hakeem/Abdul-Jabbar and you have enough skills to dominate in an unconventional manner, but these guys are the exception rather than the rule)
Not sure how much more dominant you can be than a four game sweep in the finals when the games matter most! Oh, but I forgot it was the Rockets great surrounding cast of Kenny Smith and Chucky Brown that were the real difference. Dominance is as dominance does. And here are some quotes from non-homers: Fried Chicken Willis05-19-04, 01:12 PM The only time i cried watching sports was when the Magic got swept by the Rockets in the '95 Finals. Orlando was supposed to replace the Bulls as the new Dynasty, Shaq was my dude, and Penny was the front-runner to be the "next Jordan". Then these dudes blow the first two AT HOME, and get swept. The Nick Anderson choke, the Hakeem tip-in, the Hakeem raping of Shaq, back breaking 3-pointers by Horry, Cassell,Elie, and Kenny Smith, it was all just CRUSHING me. It just got to the point where my 13 year old heart couldnt take it anymore, and after game 4 i was weeping like Tre after Ricky got bodied. **** YOU NICK ANDERSON!! :grrr: TO THIS VERY DAY! **** YOU! :grrr: And: In a league famished for dominant big men, Olajuwon will be missed. Nicknamed “The Dream”, No.34 was a ballet dancer in sneakers. At 255 pounds, he easily had the best footwork among 7-footers dead or alive, torturing David Robinson and Shaquille O’Neal with his dreaded baseline move, The Dream Shake. In the 1995 West Conference Finals, Hakeem sank The Admiral and the Spurs with a 35.3 points per game output. In the NBA Finals of that year, Hakeem abused Shaq for 30 points per in a four-game sweep of the Magic. Call them like you see them!!!
You would be too if you won three championships for a team and get run out of town by a snot-nosed rapist.
really? have you ever even looked at dream's stats? THEY ARE BETTER THAN SHAQ'S!!! and don't just throw career stats up their because dream's stats are skewed due to the crappy last 3 years he played when he hung around too long. Dream was a better rebounder and defensive player. they are equal on offense since some of shaq's offense is negated by his horrible FT shooting. when did shaq ever put a stat line like this for a season? 24.3 PPG 14.0 RPG 2.90 APG 4.59 BPG 2.12 SPG NEVER!
do you even know what the dreamshake was? the dreamshake --hakeem gets the ball in the post, dribbles once or twice, fakes left, fakes right, then spins and shoots. doesnt take an "hour" to do that on the flip side, shaq receives the ball in the post. he has to dribble the ball a few times and try to dislodge the defender before he goes up for the dunk. not sure if you ever really saw hakeem play
Something interesting from SVG. I think he nailed it. Yao does great for what he is. He isn't Shaq or Dream or Kareem. But, this isn't a league that has Kareem, Dream, Parrish, Robinson, Ewing among others playing. As a result, it is Shaq, Yao and everyone else when it comes to legit big men - with all due respect to Ilgauskis. BUT, that doesn't make him "dominant" something that people are used to with great players in the NBA. I personally think Yao wouldn't hear any complaints if his intensity was as consistent as his free throw shooting. He works hard, clearly, every night. He just doesn't seem to be 100% there emotionally every night. If he could get that going, no one would complain.
Yeah, Shaq...and you're fat...you knock people down and dunk. That's it. You developed a nice little flip shot. But you're supposed to do that, right? I mean..you're 7 freaking feet tall. Next time you cross someone over, let me know. Next time you start making 3's, let me know. What an assclown.
