Loading ...Let me begin by stating that I’m well aware that Shaquille O’Neal was most responsible for the Lakers and Heat’s combined 4 NBA championships.
I also regard Shaquille as one of the 10 greatest players of all-time.
But O’Neal has no one but himself to blame for the deterioration of his skills and the nagging injuries to his hips and knees. No matter the man, a hip is just a hip, a knee is just a knee, and those joints cannot take the stress of 375 plus pounds, season after season.
Father time catches up with us all but Shaq’s lack of committment to the game that has given him about $600 million reasons to be good back has finally caught up with him.
In his prime, he was the most unstoppable force the game has seen. Forget Wilt Chamberlain, who towered over every opponet he faced. Shaq was a physical anomaly. A combination of power and speed never seen before and never to be seen again.
He can credit himself for becoming a shell of what he once was. O’Neal, with career averages of 25.6 points and 11.5 rebounds per game has averaged a paltry 15.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game the past two seasons. Hardly Superman averages and definately not worth the 20 million a year salary from the Miami Heat.
One can choose to make excuses for Shaq’s age but the fact of that matter is that his decline has been a long time coming.
When did Shaq’s decline begin?
The Superman era ended after the last of the Los Angeles Lakers 3 consecutive titles when Shaq decided to delay surgery on his big toe until right before the 2002-2003 season, explaining himself by saying, “I got hurt on company time, so I’ll heal on company time.”
The Laker dynasty ended that day.
Shaq would never be the force he once was. His weight would balloon over the next two seasons. Culminating in a drop of 27.5 ppg in 2002-2003 to 21.5 ppg in 2003-2004 and a 4-1 loss against the Detroit Pistons in the NBA Finals. Shaq played well offensively in that series but it was his excessive weight, more than anything else that killed the Lakers. Chauncey Billups, with Ben Wallace setting screens and forcing the now slower than mollases Shaq to help, destroyed LA in route to being named Finals MVP.
Shaq could have easily tipped the scales at 400 pounds.
The Lakers would make the right decision shortly thereafter by choosing to trade Shaq and his $27.7 million dollar salary for Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, and the soon to be expired contract of Brian Grant.
Shaq re-committed himself to the game that off-season. Losing weight and leading the Heat to 59 wins in 2005 and an NBA championship in 2006.
Old habits are hard to break though. The Diesel would come into camp out of shape the following season. Miami would struggle to win 44 games and be swept in the first round by the Chicago Bulls.
“How the mighty have fallen.”
The Miami Heat are presently 8-33 (with Shaq playing a reasonable 32 of their 41 games) and have no shot at the postseason. Shaq’s hip will keep him sidelined for the next two weeks and Riley would be wise to shut him down and hope for a lottery pick to replace him.
Due to his impending divorce, Shaq’s expenditures were released today. Among his $875,015 per month expenses is a jaw dropping (literally for Shaq, figuratively for us) $12,775 on food.
I had no idea one could spend $12,775 monthly on 
, 
, &
.
No wonder his joints are akin to that of a senior citizen.
To those calling for Shaq’s retirement. Don’t hold your breath. The only thing larger than Shaq is his ego. Like it or not, the Heat are stuck with The Big Overpaid for the next two seasons.
Shaq will undoubtebly want to “go out on his own terms.”
Too bad the self proclaimed “Big Aristotle” isn’t wise enough to realize that’s exactly how it’s going down.
