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Shaq was the , Kobe was the pussy.
Kobe
Shaq
http://www.miamiherald.com/592/story/471668.html
BY MICHAEL WALLACE
[email protected]
Heat head coach Pat Riley and center Shaquille O'Neal during happier times. On Wednesday Riley shot back after O'Neal ripped former players, saying "I'm actually on a team again," about his trade to Phoenix.
ISSAC BALDIZON / NBAE-GETTY IMAGES
Heat head coach Pat Riley and center Shaquille O'Neal during happier times. On Wednesday Riley shot back after O'Neal ripped former players, saying "I'm actually on a team again," about his trade to Phoenix.
NEW YORK --
The Heat had one of its best defensive efforts Wednesday night. It just so happened to come off the court before its game against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
Heat players and coaches shot back at center Shaquille O'Neal, who ripped his former teammates for the second time in as many weeks, this time in a Boston Globe article published Wednesday.
The Heat traded an injured and disgruntled O'Neal on Feb. 6 to Phoenix for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks.
Before the trade, O'Neal clashed with coach Pat Riley and complained about his teammates' inability to get him the ball and their ineffective play earlier in the season.
The Suns initially struggled after the trade but won seven of eight entering Wednesday night's game at Boston.
''I love playing for this coach and I love playing with these guys,'' O'Neal was quoted as saying in The Boston Globe about Suns coach Mike D'Antoni and his new teammates. ``We have professionals who know what to do. No one is asking me to play with [Heat guards] Chris Quinn or Ricky Davis. I'm actually on a team again.''
Quinn and Davis were stunned and disappointed when they learned of O'Neal's comments before Wednesday's game.
Davis, acquired at the start of the season from Minnesota, initially struggled to find a rhythm with O'Neal, with the two appearing openly frustrated at times on the court.
But Davis said he didn't believe a serious problem existed between them.
''You can't really take stuff personal in the NBA -- you'd go crazy,'' Davis said. ``Shaq's a big guy, whatever. If that's how he feels, that's how he feels. It shows his true colors.''
O'Neal never appeared to have a problem with Quinn, one of the few players who consistently made shots on the perimeter and capitalized when defenders crowded O'Neal.
''To be honest with you, I don't have too much to say about it,'' said Quinn, a second-year guard who was undrafted out of Notre Dame.
``I don't know. But it didn't hurt me.''
Riley did find the comments painful, particularly ones attributed to O'Neal in a Sports Illustrated story last week, when O'Neal, 36, questioned how effectively the Heat's medical staff treated his ailing left hip and thigh.
O'Neal missed 19 of 23 games before the trade -- including three when he left the team in January for treatment in Los Angeles.
''[The Heat] tried to use everything as an excuse,'' O'Neal told Sports Illustrated. ``They couldn't figure out what the pain was, so it had to be something with me. The Suns are taking care of me here. I'm feeling better every day.''
Riley took issue with that claim.
''It's really a shame that he would insult those people like that, because they gave him care,'' Riley said of Selesnick and Heat trainer Ron Culp. ``They didn't kiss his butt. They cared about trying to get him well. He can do whatever he wants to with me. I don't care. What upsets me is that those men sort of get tainted.''
Riley said it was ''sad'' that O'Neal has taken aim at his former team after 3 ½ seasons that included a 2006 championship. But since the le, O'Neal's time in Miami has been marred by injuries and losses.
The Heat, 9-39 when O'Neal was traded, entered Wednesday an NBA-worst 13-57. Earlier in the season, O'Neal and Riley had to be separated by Alonzo Mourning during a heated moment in practice. O'Neal asked to be bought out or traded as early as December. Riley said the Heat showed ''tremendous respect'' for O'Neal by sending him to a Suns team contending for a championship.
''Everybody was at fault. Everybody was feeling bad and nobody wanted that,'' Riley said.
``He didn't want to be here. We sent him to Utopia and we're here left with the carnage. I don't know why he's not happy.''
O'Neal has a history of bitter breakups with his former teams. He left Orlando after a feud with Penny Hardaway in 1996. O'Neal left the Lakers in 2004 after his relationship with Kobe Bryant soured.
''I just think it's sad that he's got to do that,'' Riley said. ``I wish him nothing but the best.''
Shaq was the , Kobe was the pussy.
I clicked Kobe for fun, disregard that . My vote is for Shaq, the only thing bigger than he is, is his ego.
I blame Shaq, he was older and should have been more of the adult.
Cant we vote for both ? I mean its like who was worse hitler or stalin
Shaq and Kobe really were both to blame.
Damn though, Shaq has to be the biggest asshole, loud-mouth, backstabbing-est superstar ever. Miami could've ate that contract, to their own detriment, but instead they trade that mother er to a contending team like Phoenix.
Now, look at the kind of comments that asshole makes. Talk about being completely ungrateful to a team that helped you (and themselves) out of two bad situations.
He's flamed-out everywhere he's been, and eventually Phoenix fans will feel like Laker, Heat and Magic fans before them. \
Need two more options: Both and Jerry Buss.
Why the is the guy dissing former teammates and even the trainers when he clearly played like and gave up on his team? Oh wait...it's Shaq.
sounds right on several levels...
I always liked shaq and found him funny but this went to far. You dont do/say that....
This reminds me of the only time I ever actually heard David Robinson diss anyone. Shaq had just released his first book, and the writers all asked David how he felt about being in the book. David responded something like "Shaq has a book? Does it have lots of pictures in it?"
Shaq is the biggest asshole in the NBA.
Kobe should shoulder his share of the blame, but when a guy has a bitter divorce with 3 different teams I'd say it is pretty evident.
Shaq for being a lazy a-hole.
Kobe for being an a-hole who sold out Shaq after being questioned by the police.
I never saw Shaq jumping into the stands for a lose ball or diving to the floor to save a ball from going out of bounce. Maybe if he had given this much effort as he has been with the Suns, early this season, the Heat wouldn't be in the lottery right now...
Its getting pretty obvious who the bad one in the relationship was. Sucks for Kobe to get blame for trying to work hard. Remember when the fued was going on, Kobe's criticism of Shaq was he was out of shape.
LMAO at the David Robinson comment that gave me a good laugh by imagining Dave actually saying that.
BOTH. add that option
We all know that Mitch and Shaq had everything to do with Shaq leaving but this is about Kobe and Shaq's personal fued. I like shaq but I hate when he disses his team mates. I voted for Shaq because like P&G said, Kobe was a Kid. Shaq should have taken him under his wing, instead Shaq was jealous of the attention Kobe was receiving. He hated that SC showed nothing but Kobe highlights when the played.
Shaq is a total . I've said, off the court, hes probably a cool dude, but in basketball, he's as -made of a player as the league has ever seen.
It's not like Kobe was 15 y/o either; Kobe should have acted as an adult too
+1
I think Shaq is a good guy off the court, but I hate him as a player
Both
Shaq!
A couple of years ago I thought it was Kobe but now I know it was Shaq, and besides this proves it http://youtube.com/watch?v=9qQPBt7QW5Q
'em both.
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