The honest truth about Shaq....

WutupLA · Starting Rotation Joined: 10 Apr 2005 Posts: 282

We shouldn't root for Shaq or the Miami Heat to lose.
Yes, he embarrassed the Lakers publicly and made outrageous contract demands. Yes, he threatened every team that the Lakers were considering that wasn't a warm weather climate and potential contender.

But, lets be real. If Shaq had stayed on this team, we would be ruined and we wouldn't have been in the NBA Finals for a while. Remember, this was about Shaq-Malone-Kobe-Payton, and thats what we all forgot about. Here we were as laker fans, grieving about the recent Finals blunder, and in comes Shaq (bleep) about Phil getting fired and not getting the contract he wants. This came at the worst possible time and with Malone comtemplating retirement, i could have cared less at that point. If you watched all the rounds in the playoffs, you would see how reliant Shaq was on Malone, to bail him out on alot of situations, and by the NBA Finals, Shaq practically NEEDED Malone to like change his diaper. Gimme a break. Maybe Malone and Payton would have stuck around if Kobe and Shaq decided to give the title run another shot. Maybe Brent Barry and Antonio McDyess decide to come to LA as free agent pickups rather than SA or Detroit. But this was all just for the short term. Malone would have surely left after another year, Payton would have bolted, and the Lakers future would have gone down the drain. With Mitch's ability to draft talent and pick up free agents, the Lakers would be doomed with a bloated payroll and aging Shaq.

So we shouldn't be mad that we lost Shaq, it just was time and wasn't going to work out. It was a supposed win-win for both sides. Shaq got put in a much better situation and the Lakers got flexibility for the future. People say the Shaq trade was dumb. That is a very ambigious statement. Trading Shaq was smart, but the players included in the trade, ehh, it was better than average, but better pieces could have been thrown in there. Honestly, i would have demanded Wade at the last second, without Shaq knowing, and completely screwed him over. Reason why Wade wasnt included, was because had Shaq knew about it, he would have threated to sit on the bench and opt out. Riley realllyy wanted Shaq and said he felt "fortunate" he didn't have to give Wade up. Mitch didn't have the balls on that one. Jerry Buss and Pat Riley did have a private meeting together prior to the trade though. They claim it was to talk about 'good ol times' and not about being the laker coach or whatever.

As for the Miami Heat being in the Eastern Conference Finals, good luck to Shaq and his team, continue to do what you do, he went to a team that could put him in that situation. Riley should be eternally thankful that we even made all this possible for Miami. More than just Shaq, but the attention, popularity, hype, limelight, tv appearances, jersey sales, elite team status, etc. Should also thank his lucky stars we let him keep Wade, he will owe us big time someday, maybe he can give us a hand this offseason or on draft day.

AussieLakerFan · Posted: Sun May 21, 2006 12:49 am Post subject:

Raptor2k · Posted: Sun May 21, 2006 1:12 am Post subject:

Ok...that was random

few things...Phil didn't get fired

Who's mad that Shaq's gone? I'm glad he's gone. And I'll continue to root against Miami, you brought up Shaq's public BS (and something about warm weather??) but didn't refute it.

...now, I'll add this post to my "I need a minute of my life back after reading this" bank.
_________________
"I accepted their challenge. I accepted the doubt of everyone who spoke on my downfall and used their words as fuel. I have a franchise to resurrect, a city of fans to uplift."

WutupLA · Starting Rotation Joined: 10 Apr 2005 Posts: 282

he_is_the_one · Posted: Sun May 21, 2006 1:50 am Post subject:

eniq 0x00 · Star Player Joined: 06 Aug 2005 Posts: 2724

(bleep) Shaq and his fans. I hope his ass explodes.
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"In essence, the trade was: Shaq, Rick Fox and Gary Payton for Odom, Kwame, Mihm, Profit, 2nd round picks, a 1st round pick and 30 million in luxury tax saviings." - LakerJam

^^ Farmar

ArrOhBee · Posted: Sun May 21, 2006 2:33 am Post subject:

^^^relax dude...shaq brought us 3 championships
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Mmmm Mmmm Mitch!

ErMonnezza · Posted: Sun May 21, 2006 3:20 am Post subject:

to be honest I always Hated him , also when a laker , I'm happy when he loses and I was very happy when he left

Nahtanoj · Posted: Sun May 21, 2006 3:36 am Post subject:

I was always a Kobe Bryant guy, never liked Shaq even when he was with the LA Lakers. I did not like him during the Orlando Magic days either. But I do not root against the Heat, I wish them good luck versus the Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals.

_________________
NBA Finals 2008 Game 4 post-game reaction:
KOBE 2.0 - I'm gonna cut my wrists... Whatever... I don't care this sucks and I hate life.
Orestes - Guess that's one way to find out if you really bleed purple & gold.

he_is_the_one · Posted: Sun May 21, 2006 4:10 am Post subject:

Shaq who??

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That was Noiceeeee

Melon Tea · Star Player Joined: 14 Feb 2006 Posts: 1528

shaq the donut man. DUHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

gone-daddy-gone · Sixth Man Joined: 31 Dec 2005 Posts: 69

the real truth about shaq

he is lazy and doesn't work nearly as hard as he should.

he is the most dominant force the nba has ever seen.

kobe is a much more skilled player, works alot harder, yet had to defer to shaq because he is shaq. and that must've sucked for kobe. don't know about you, but if i was the hardest working dude at work and wasn't the highest paid or the top dog, i'd leave for a new job.

shaq is THE reason the lakers won 3 straight trophies.

he made alot of stoopid comments. sometimes he makes you laugh, sometimes he says crap about the city and fans because hes immature.

he is THE reason the lakers threatened the reg season win total record.

shaqs laziness and non-chalant(sp?) attitude towards the offseason workouts are THE reasons the lakers did not win 4 or 5 trophies.

shaq is THE reason the lakers tore through the playoffs and lost ony one game on the way to the trophy.

bottom line is, we were lucky he was a laker. i don't know about you, but i like watchin my team challenge regular season win total records, tear through the playoffs with only one loss, win 3 straight titles. i like watching that a h3ll of alot more than watching an average team struggle to get 50 wins and get bounced in the first round.

make no mistake about it, thats what the lakers are right now, an average team. IF mitch can somehow swing KG(i ain't holdin my breath), lakers will be contenders. if not, its another average year next year. and call me spoiled, but i want to see the team do real damage EVERY year.

Sage_10 · Star Player Joined: 24 Dec 2005 Posts: 6668

Shaq? is that you?
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"You Must Be Willing To Give Up That Which Can Be Lost In Order To Gain That Which Cannot Be Lost." - FORTUNE COOKIE

Melon Tea · Star Player Joined: 14 Feb 2006 Posts: 1528

omgomgomg it's the fat donut man

drzucchini · Franchise Player Joined: 28 Sep 2002 Posts: 16327

I used to root for any team playing against the Heat. Not anymore. If anything, I just feel pity for Shaq now. His aging has become even more apparent, and now everybody knows it. It's like watching an old lion fighting off the hyenas.

insidepresence · Star Player Joined: 17 Jul 2005 Posts: 3901 Location: Ca

hoopschick29 · Posted: Sun May 21, 2006 9:23 am Post subject:

hig · Posted: Sun May 21, 2006 9:39 am Post subject:

smoothCbutla · Star Player Joined: 14 May 2005 Posts: 1038

shaq is like the hot girlfriend that cheated on all her boyfriends before you met her

you go into the relationship knowing she has a past of cheating (the magic) but we will all get greedy and hope for change (nope none here)

the sex is great for awhile so you put up with it (a banner or two or three), but eventually things go wrong and you see her for the fat lazy (bleep) that she is (oh so true take a game off we know you)

so she's out the house finds a new man to take her (bleep) (the Heat) but the sex isn't as great as it was so she tries to make you jealous by telling you how great he is (the Heat) and how fake you were (Miami/LA).

but the man that now puts up with her (bleep) no longer does as much because frankly she's getting older, her boobs are starting to sag, and her big butt that you fell for (clogging the paint) suddenly sticks out to you in a bad way (foul trouble for life)

you can bank that in your waste of my time file too

Spirit · Posted: Sun May 21, 2006 10:32 am Post subject:

BygDaddy · Starting Rotation Joined: 19 Aug 2005 Posts: 556

I never particularly liked Shaq as a Laker. I hate him now. I wanted to trade Shaq the season before he was traded when he had greater trade value. I will always root against him.

Raptor2k · Posted: Sun May 21, 2006 12:19 pm Post subject:

samsl · Posted: Sun May 21, 2006 12:28 pm Post subject:

Stylistic Stylez · Star Player Joined: 06 Mar 2006 Posts: 4336

nope i dont kno what your saying. Screw the heat
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When you do something that you truly, truly love doing, you find yourself wanting to do it all the time.

Why can't America realize that falling in love with Kobe doesn't mean breaking up with Michael

alwayslakers08 · Posted: Sun May 21, 2006 2:25 pm Post subject: