With the Lakers set to square off against the Phoenix Suns tomorrow night, everyone will get their first peak at the newly Shaquillized original run-n-gun team.
I have to admit, karma is a foul, unsavory witch. Kobe complained this offseason. Wanted to be moved. Was frustrated with his team mates. Then didn’t get his way. He came into this season fired up and ready to roll, played his heart out like he always does. The Lakers got off to great start before karma kicked out her leg and tripped up the Lakeshow by sending Bynum to the injured reserve for at least 2 months.
But then, out of left field, Kobe was served on a platter of gold, Pau Gasol. As consequence, the hardest road trip of the year, a nine-game set that was supposed to be the toughest portion of the Lakers schedule, looked more like a cake-walk, the Lakers finishing with a glittering 7-2 record—that easily could have, and should have been 9-0.
Now, karma has struck again. Kobe’s facing a potential six-week hiatus due to the unfortunate news that his pinky finger is much worse than originally thought. He’s been playing through an assortment of injuries this year, like he does every year. His love of the game is so great, and his desire to win is so prevalent, that he plays through injury and sickness. He’s made it clear that he will play through the injury and fulfill his duties this summer to the Olympic squad, and yet, he and the Lakers might best be served if he shuts it down and gets the surgery now.
On the flip side, you have Mr. Shaq O’Neal. He came into this season out of shape, like so many other seasons before (except for that first season in Miami in which he came into training camp in the “best shape of his life”). His team got off to a horrible start without Dwayne Wade. Then they continued to play miserably even after Wade came back (Wade, who is playing through severe injuries as well). Wade questions O’Neal’s motivation and heart. Riles does the same. Then O’Neal gets hounded by the media, is left for washed up and past-his-prime, and decides that his hip bursitis or whatever he’s calling it, is too much. Rumors fly that he’s going to sit out the rest of the season.
Let me remind you readers that we are talking about THE max contract player in the NBA. After KG, there is only Shaq in terms of monetary reimbursement. And dude is contemplating sitting out as his team sits with the worst record in the league. He is the second highest paid player in the L, has “Michael Jordan” (note the sarcastic quote marks) reincarnate playing with him, he plays in the JV league, and yet still, his team had only mustered 9 pathetic wins.
So, instead of man up and try and salvage any part of the season, he sat out and watched Wade play through his myriad of injuries. He sat back, let the team he promised to bring a championship (to his credit he did) fall into the laughingstock of the NBA.
And then, then the basketball gods who love Shaq, blessed him with the opportunity to play with Steve Nash. Where’s the karma in that?
I've loved watching the Suns the past four years. I have been a Suns fan since the early 90s. Dan Majerle was my favorite player. I remember Chapman and Ceballos, KJ and Barkley, Elliott Perry and Wayman Tisdale...
I hung in there, been hanging in there. But, to see this trade go down gets to me. I wanted to see the Suns do it their way. Not Shaq's way. This championship (if won) will no longer be credited to Nash and Marion and Stoudemire, instead, it will be the championship that Shaq brought the city.
See, the worst part about Shaq is that karma doesn’t seem to bite him. After all, he’s jumped ship now three times over the course of his career. He couldn’t get along with Penny Hardaway, so he left that situation to pursue music and Hollywood, and, oh yeah, some basketball in Los Angeles.
He lucked out and was paired with Kobe, and the second Bryant turned the corner from potential to stud, the Lakers won 3 straight.
Each year, Kobe continued to work harder and get better, and each year, Shaq slacked off more and more. When one talent works hard to get better and the other doesn’t, yet gets all the credit, well, just put yourself in Kobe’s shoes for a sec. Kobe wanted to be the man.
Shaq couldn’t stand not being the alpha dog, and demanded an unreasonable amount of money from Buss, who said no (he wanted 30 plus million per). Shaq then let Bryant shoulder the blame for his own trade demand, and Kupchack sent him packing to the Heat.
Once again, Shaq lucked into a superbly talented wing, this time Dwayne Wade, and rode Wade to his fourth championship. Of course, after the collecting his fourth ring, he let himself go again. Eased off his hard workload. Got lazy. Riles didn’t like that (though he did the same thing). Flash didn’t either—especially since he was battling out there barely stitched together.
Now Shaq is Steve Nash’s ticket to a championship. I have been rooting for Nash to win it the past three seasons (since he knocked the Lakers out the past two) and each year he has come up short. It’s so frustrating because Nash goes about doing it the right way. He works hard. Has upped his game. He loves basketball. And now Shaq, the antithesis of that work ethic is on his team. So if Shaq wins, karma doesn’t mean a damn thing. And if Shaq doesn’t bring Nash a trophy, Nash’s hard work, discipline, and determination were all for nothing.
But Shaq is talking about fitting in and working hard to deliver a championship to Phoenix. Saying he won’t fail. Saying he’s motivated. What happened to being self-motivated? Or playing hard because of the love of the game?
Ask Allen Iverson why he plays basketball. Ask Kobe. Ask Nash.
I’ve never met Shaq nor talked to him personally, but his actions dictate to me, that he doesn’t love the game.
Hope karma finally does a number on him.
Sorry Nash.
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