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...or, an immediate contract year.
varejoa can't win without shaq
...or, an immediate contract year.
The local view.
Nicknames and climate aside, Shaquille O'Neal looks to deliver for the Cavaliers
by Bill Livingston, The Plain Dealer
Even before the greeting card, which was super-sized beyond any hamburger chains dreams and was signed by Cavaliers employees, the team gave Shaquille O'Neal a Cleveland moment at his introductory news conference Thursday.
Owner Dan Gilbert, wearing a tie, meaning this was serious stuff, handed the 7-foot-1, 320-ish pound veteran center a pair of wine and gold Cavs galoshes with the toes cut out. You know, for growing room. Next came a snow shovel.
O'Neal himself, asked for a nickname to follow such self-bestowed monickers as the Big Aristotle, the Big Cactus (in Phoenix), the Big Shaqtus, the Big Galactus, and the immortal Wilt Chamberneezy, embraced the local weather drawbacks with the "Big Freeze." The 37-year-old O'Neal was born in New Jersey, which is not noted, climatologically, as a garden spot despite its similar state nickname.
O'Neal, a four-time NBA champion, was relaxed, confident and funny. He cracked a few jokes about the playing career of general manager Danny Ferry and then turned to coach coach Mike Brown, seated next to him, and said, emphatically, "We will never have to double team anybody again."
The first doesn't matter because Ferry is a good sport. The second we will see about. It was a reference to the rain of destruction Orlando unleashed from the 3-point line when the Cavs cluster-guarded Magic center Dwight Howard.
O'Neal usually comes off as jovial, but there is a bite to his remarks, too. Without doing a rapping putdown of the Cavs' current hobgoblin, Howard, O'Neal noted that only two big men have won multiple NBA championships in the decade -- himself and Tim Duncan in San Antonio. Calling himself the "shogun"(a Japanese war lord who served as the virtual ruler of the country in feudal times), he said all the other big men "have to come upstairs and see me."
After next season, LeBron James, the King of Cleveland, could become the most attractive free agent since Shaq left Orlando for the Lakers in 1996. But O'Neal said, "In a perfect world, if we win it takes care of business and he has no choice but to stay here."
Often viewed as a rent-a-player, acquired for just one season, O'Neal lobbied for a contract extension. He too will be a free agent in 2010, but the Cavs can pay him more than anyone else. That would enable him to finish what he sees as three more playing years here.
O'Neal's slogan for the coming season, rather than a Shaq-centric "one for the thumb," is "Win a Ring for the King."
This news conference went much better than the introductory one in 2005 for Brown, when Gilbert pointedly handed him an oversized clock to tell the neophyte coach he was on it. But then, Shaq already knows he is the Big Embodiment of a lot of dreams in a city with a long championship drought, even though he made sure to say the Cavs are always going to be LeBron's team.
O'Neal and his former teammate in Los Angeles, Kobe Bryant, are in a three-way race with Duncan to be the Lord of the Rings, the first active player with five NBA championships. Never mind the bad weather, if it really is a perfect world here next season, Shaq doesn't have to be the center piece in anyway except for the position he plays.
The Big Ringbearer will do.
they are from Hong Kong, which is capitalistic and not part of communist China. They have their own money, economy and government. We went over this yesterday.
Hong Kong= not into genocide
China= into genocide
"The Black Moose Cholak" also cited Fisher for that .4 shot against you all. He thinks he won the le that year.
Follow up question, does Shaq's referring to himself as a Japanese warlord sit well with the Hong Kongese ownership or will they pressure him to use the nickname "The Big Former British Possession"?
Sorry Shaqfu, but Ron Artest is the LeBron-Stoppa
It's old but still He is a funny guy
They probably won't show it, but the funniest part of the whole thing was when they first introduced Shaq he said that he got a call from Danny Ferry and he knew the name, but couldn't remember who he was so he googled him and found out why he knew him and held up this picture
I just saw that on TV
I thought It was funny
Although not smart, since kids were around
Too late for Shaq. He is not that good anymore.
first to five. i guess shaq forgot he isnt going to be first or even on the list
are you serious?! There is no debate Duncan is better and is REally a center as well ...But since he is listed at PF i atill put him in my all-time starting 5 ...
Unfortunately for him, he won't.
They have a rivalry for sure. Obviously Shaq talks about Duncan alot more than TD does about Shaq but I would think Tim being the compe or he is would want a 5th ring to seperate himself.
Edit* However TD could accept Shaq with no.5 before him. I don't think Shaq would like Timmy winning no.5 before him though.
First to 5 leaves no question for debate as to who the best Big man of this era was. Right now it's 1a and 1b, take your pick on the order
I hope Duncan gets there first.Unfortunately for him, he won't.
Duncan is a compe or, he's all about winning. I'm sure he wants that fifth as much as Shaq, but we won't hear him talk about it like that. He'll simply say he wants to win, that he's not focused on what anyone else is doing.
If Shaq gets to five before Duncan, and Duncan is asked about it, he'll be nothing but gracious. Congratulate Shaq and move on.
I imagine there's no doubt what my order is.First to 5 leaves no question for debate as to who the best Big man of this era was. Right now it's 1a and 1b, take your pick on the order
I like the part where he stops the car and starts ripping at the bushes..wtf?
Shaq's "here" for the money. He's done, living off his long out-lived reputation.
Out of the 3, TD is probably the only one who doesn't give a about "being the first to 5."
He just wants to win. Every year.
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