So Long Shaq!

So yesterday, Shaquille O'Neal decided to retire. Insert applause. Now, I don't want to sound like a hater, because I am not. I have enjoyed Shaq through the years, but I feel that people base their opinions of him as a player on his off-the-court antics. Is Shaq funny? Without a doubt. He seems like the type of guy you want to party with at XS Nightclub in Las Vegas.

However, his work ethic on the court has absolutely befuddled me through the years, and all of these so-called experts crowning him the "most dominant center EVER"??? FOH! Sorry to burst their collective bubble, but in my Stephen A. Smith voice, "you gotta be kidding me!" Shaq is defiitely intimidating on the court. Bar none, there has been no one else in the league that stands 7'1", 350+ pounds. His sheer size will intimidate the average 6'4", 200 lb. player. However, to say he was the greatest, as I read in numerous tweets. Or to say he was the most dominant is just reaching.

When Shaq entered the league his rookie season, he was picked 1st in the 1992 draft by the expansion team, the Orlando Magic. Together with Penny Hardaway, Nick Anderson and Dennis Scott, they went all the way to the NBA Finals in the 94-95' season, but lost to the Houston Rockets. The following year, they were swept by the Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals. That same year, Shaq became a free agent, and his team stepped up to the plate and offered him $115 MIL out the gate. However, Shaq did not accept this deal right away. He instead went on to play with the second dream team to a gold medal in the summer Olympics in Atlanta. I knew then that he was going to jump ship. He instead went to the bright lights of Los Angeles and $6 million more. At that moment, Shaq told the world who he was. He was a funny, easygoing big guy, who preferred fame, money and the spotlight over basketball. No one wanted to believe this, but it was true then, and it is true now. Shaq's time in L.A. proved to be exactly what I expected. We saw him in movies (Kazam), music videos (Fu Schnickens), and a sleugth of commercials and ads. He was steadily becoming the most marketable guy in the league. Almost! Jordan was still playing, and winning. By the time Jordan retired after the '97-'98 season. Shaq had taken that title. However, it was the bru ha ha on the court that got my attention.

At this time, I was NOT a fan of Kobe Bryant. He was young, arrogant and a loner, which doesn't quite fit in a team sport such as basketball. It seemed like the more fans and the media hated Kobe, the more they loved Shaq. We watched Shaq's waistline balloon, his conceited antics (him calling himself Superman and the greatest) grow, and we also began to watch these two personalities/egos clash with their coach Phil Jackson. Kobe took almost sole blame for this and was deemed the villain. By the '03-'04 season, the Lakers had won three titles in a row and barring injuries were looking to get a fourth title. However, the addition of Malone and Payton, not to mention the declining relationship with Kobe and Phil proved to be too much. The Lakers lost to the Pistons in the Finals. Kobe was coming off a rape charge and a fledgling endorsement career, and rumors that Phil Jackson was going to retire blew up. That off-season, Kobe became a free agent and the media hounded him about his return. Kobe said he would come back if: Phil returned, the Lakers brought in more people to build the team back up, and Shaq got his fat-ass into shape. I laughed about that statement for weeks. For the first time, I held a little admiration for Kobe. He didn't say he would return if they offered him $200 MIL! No, his concern was strictly about the direction of the team and the organization! You have to respect that. I knew. Shaq was leaving.

Shaq took his talents to South Beach for another $100 MIL + contract. He guaranteed that HE would bring a championship to Miami, and they held a parade for him. Shaq liked to party and was rich just like them, so he fit right in. Meanwhile, when the season began, he sat on the sidelines for inordinate amount of times with thumb and toe injuries while we watched Dwayne Wade kill himself to keep Miami in the running. As luck would have it, they played the Dallas "choke in the post-season" Mavericks in the Finals, and again, thanks to Wade, they won. However, Shaq took ALL OF THE CREDIT! The city of Miami gave Shaq a day, he was given the key to the city, and even became a police officer, seen chasing purse snatchers down the street. The following two seasons the team fell apart. Wade having killed himself to win that title almost singlehandedly, his body went down on him. Next thing you knew, they were being swept by the Baby Bulls in the first round of the playoffs. Where was the great Shaq then? Wade was barely 60% and desperately needed someone else to step up, Shaq was nowhere to be found. It was almost a repeat of the situation he had with Kobe, except Wade brooded silently.

Once again, questions loomed on other players. The Heat having picked up a declining but at times, reliable Antoine Walker, he took the blame for Shaq and it eventually cost him his job. I knew at the preseason presser when Riley went completely batshit about players coming back out of shape, that Shaq was leaving. The media railed on Walker, but no one was more out of shape than Shaq. He spent the start of the season, healing from yet another injury, getting back into shape and looking at what other team he wanted to go to. He ended up in Phoenix. After a few months, the Suns started picking up W's. Again, the media credited Shaq, then when they started losing and eventually fell apart in the playoffs to the Lakers no less, they blamed Amar'e Stoudemire. By the following season, it became harder to do that when teams who strengthened themselves in the middle were killing the Suns. No one wanted to say that Shaq looked slow, and out of sync, but it was bound to happen, not just because he'd gotten older. Hell, he was playing with Steve Nash! No Shaq looked bad because years of bad habits and a lazy work ethic were catching up to him. Showing up season after season out of shape, and having to try to push your body to get back into shape at the beginning of every season, which always leads to injuries, had caught up with Shaq.

By the summer of 2010 when everyone was focused on LeBron James and where he was going, Shaq was still requesting big money from teams. Realization hit when the preseason had begun and Shaq still didn't have a team. He settled for a lesser role with the Boston Celtics, but spent almost the entire season trying to rehab his body and get into shape. It was clear that his time had passed. My grandmother always says, time waits for no man. Shaq has had a career most players could only dream of. He has made an insane amount of money on and off the court. But I cannot and will not jump on the bandwagon and claim he is the greatest, because it's just not true. He never stuck with a team when they were down and then worked his way back up. Without a Robin, he never had a chance to be Batman, and anytime he won, he ALWAYS had a Robin! He was not as versatile, savvy or as quick as Hakeem Olajuwon, or as constant as a Bill Russell. He will be mentioned, he just isn't the greatest! So, farewell Shaq! It was fun and entertaining to watch!

The Decision!

So, we are 24 hours away from the biggest free agent signing in the history of the NBA! Actually, in the history of sports, and I feel as if the only thing I have become a witness to is a CIRCUS!

It is no secret that I am NOT LeBron James' biggest fan. I don't dislike him per se, I just don't care for what he represents, and I particularly don't like his team. His high school/neighborhood friends who have placed their entire livelihoods on his shoulders, all in the name of having his back. However, their laissez-faire way of managing basketball's biggest talent has become detrimental to his future as a legend in this game. Whether it is his refusal to shake the hand of his opponent after suffering a conference finals loss, or dodging the media while he pouts about it, there have definitely been some snafus in the professionalism of LeBron James.

Professionalism aside, he is an explosive and freakishly athletic talent. However, to be a legend or to be the best, you have to be professional and likable! One thing for certain, some of James' antics have landed him as the subject of the most scathing articles in sports.

Tomorrow, James and his team promise to reveal where he will play next season, and most likely the next six seasons. Will he stay in Cleveland, move to Chicago, NY, Miami, or New Jersey? These are the million dollar questions that ESPN has asked verbatim for the last month. Quite frankly, I will be glad when he does say where he's going so we can all move on. After all, our country is still at war, we have the largest oil spill in history and unemployment is still stifling the economy. I am beginning to feel like a schmuck for constantly turning to ESPN, checking the Internet and my sports alerts for news. Here is my breakdown of his possible choices.

Cleveland: If LeBron stays in Cleveland, he pretty much will be in the same position he was in last season, except for the fact that instead of Mike "Mr. Potato Head" Brown, the new coach is Byron Scott. This is an obvious upgrade, which will help, but the biggest issue LeBron had was a lackluster supporting cast. Ilgauskas had pinches of good games, but his basketball I.Q. is low, and at times he was downright goofy. Mo Williams had spurts of shooting greatness, but he also had long stretches of shooting droughts, and unfortunately it was usually when his team needed him. Shaq is done. Delonte West could be considered arguably better than Williams, but due to his romp with Momma James, it's safe to say if LeBron stays, he's outta there. This team would make the playoffs, maybe after a few tries even, the Finals, but no ring here!

New York: Considered to be the holy grail of professional sports, the big apple is known for buying their way into professional titles. However, this feat has failed time and time again for the Knicks. In fact, they have become synonymous with overpaying the wrong players (i.e., Allan Houston, Stephon Marbury). They have not disappointed this year. They signed Amar'e Stoudamire to a 5 year/$100M deal! I am just going to let that lie for a moment. Yes you read that right, $100 Million dollars to Amar'e Stoudamire! You would think they would've learned their lesson by now, clearly they haven't. While AS is athletic, a consistent scorer and is known to have breakout games. He is also a bad defender, sometimes selfish with the ball, and a cancer to some locker rooms. It is no secret that there are former teammates in the league that literally loathe him. With that said, it will be very interesting to see how AS will play with another star, especially someone bigger than Nash. It will also be interesting to see him play in a defense-oriented conference and on a team with no real point guard. If LeBron lands in New York, he and Stoudamire will be the team. That is NOT enough. Under the scrutiny of New York media, this situation can quickly become impossible.

Miami: So we now know that D. Wade lured Chris Bosh to join him in South Beach. On paper, this looks great. Two bonafide stars playing together in the land of the beautiful, however, like NY, the Heat lack a sufficient supporting cast. Mario Chalmers - pass. Quentin Richardson - pass. DaSean Butler - not nearly developed yet. Jermaine O'Neal - he's done. Michael Beasley - a wild card with emotional problems. This organization has the most work to do to their roster to put themselves in contention. That was painfully obvious when they were ousted by Cleveland in the semifinals last season. If Wade thought he was frustrated before...but that's right, if LeBron joins them - there will be a little confusion. Sometimes you can have too many stars. This isn't the Olympics, this is an 82-game season. Wade and James' games are very similar and Coach Spoelstra isn't experienced enough to balance all of those egos. Doesn't matter because Riley is coming for his job now anyway. Not sure about rings here. Maybe, but definitely NOT a dynasty.

Chicago: This is the most likely pairing. Has been from the start, much to my chagrin. Due to my issues with LeBron's professional development, I didn't want him to come to the Bulls. However, looking at where he is likely to have the quickest success to a championship, it's definitely the Bulls. Rose, Noah, Deng, now Boozer and James is definitely a championship caliber team. But, there are some ifs that all hinge on chemistry. While Rose and Noah are young players, they are very mature, focused and passionate about the game. They check their egos at the door and do whatever it takes as a team to win. LeBron hasn't grasped this yet, and I fear his penchant for things always being about him and surrounding him would throw off the chemistry of the team. Tom Thibedeau is also a no-nonsense defensive minded coach who will not allow LeBron to play three positions every time he walks the ball down the court. This would force Bron to make adjustments to his game, which I know he doesn't like to make. Finally, the Bulls organization is about business. Contrary to the DelNegro/Paxson scuffle last season, they are a take-care-of-business organization. Old players are dispersed throughout as assistants, scouts, commentators, etc. So Bron's team would NOT have free-reign, nor would they be calling the shots. Titles could come to Bron here, but he would have to be open to change.

New Jersey: Honestly, and I know Jay-Z is a 1% owner and the team is moving to Brooklyn, but right now, they are in New Jersey. That would be like LeBron coming here to play for a Joliet team. Out of all the teams, New Jersey has the least chance of landing him for obvious reasons. Even in Brooklyn, it will give them an expansion team feel and missing will be the rich histories of a New York, Chicago or Los Angeles franchise. Even with the Russian owners billions, it is too much of a volatile situation for Bron Bron. No rings here.

In all, LeBron is making a "Decision" at 9:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time tomorrow night. He is getting a whole hour on ESPN to seal his fate for the next six years. The choice he makes will decide whether he wants to win championships or is he after more fame and money and more expansion of his brand. I can already see the direction his team is going, but only tomorrow will tell whether my hunch is right. Stay tuned!