He's really taking it personally, I believe. Excerpt: "You can't let the Sacramentos and Yao Mings see that you're hurting a little bit,'' he said, referring to Western Conference rival Sacramento Kings, and the 7-foot-4 player who was the NBA's No. 1 overall draft pick and tapped by the Houston Rockets. "I'm coming back with a vengeance and determination and I'll be ready,'' he said. http://espn.go.com/nba/news/2002/0913/1431437.html
..."ready to lose" he means. the kings will reign suprime in 2003. yao ming will take over as the dominant force in the leage in a couple of years. as for shaq, he will retire in 3 years as one of the best centers of all time with 3 rings.