Shaquille O'neal

Now that the NBA offseason is nearing a close, and, thankfully, training camp will begin in a matter of weeks, I’m going to take the next few posts to begin to delve into the Pacific Division, the moves that each team made, how I think they’ll fair, etc.

Continue reading "Pacific Division Preview Part 1: Phoenix Suns"

His act is getting real old.

A week after the Lakers were blasted by the Boston Celtics in Game 6 to capture the NBA championship, a ghost from Lakers past reared his ugly fat head and sprouted some venemous verses towards his former sidekick, Kobe Bryant.

Continue reading "SHAQ AND KOBE...AND THE RIFT GOES ON"

Continue reading "Take that Shaq!"

The San Antonio Spurs are now up 2-0 on the Phoenix Suns, courtesy of a 27-11 third-quarter spurt in Game 2 that propelled the Silver and Black to a 102-96 victory over the Copper and Gray and Purple. 

Continue reading "Spurs go up 2-0 on Suns"

Reading the post-Game 1 comments of Phoenix Suns center Shaquille O'Neal, it's hard to believe he has a Master's Degree from Louisiana State University. It's also hard to believe that he calls himself The Big Aristotle.

Continue reading "Shaq blames officials, Spurs for ..."

March 6th, 1964.

Tom O'Hara of Illinois finished the indoor mile in under four minutes 44 years ago today.

Yikes!

Myself, I keep an eight-minute pace and I've never just tried to race a mile. It might be an interesting undertaking, if you're into punishment from the pavement like myself anyhow.

Continue reading "This Date in History: Tom O'Hara ..."

(Repost from an old site of mine)

The world is so awesome.

I mean, I can blow bubbles with LeBron James bubble gum, jump to the moon in Nike Air Jordan shoes and I can set up huge armies of four-inch-high sports toy figurines (they're statues!).

Continue reading "From Shaq to Fred McGriff: Sports and Marketing"

We have been waiting for this moment for months.  No, I’m not talking about the Jason Kidd trade to go through (which it did today).  I am talking to about the second half of the NBA season to begin.  The first three and a half months can be such a drag, and usually are but in the second half, everything picks up.  It is a two-month stretch run to the playoffs.  This is the time when teams like San Antonio and Detroit flip their switch on and look to be playing their best when the playoffs begin.  The flurry of trades that have gone on in the last two or three weeks has just made the second half that much more interesting.  The NBA season is about 20 games too long and it kills ratings but now is the time to jump on the bandwagon.  These next couple months of the regular season and the playoffs are going to be some of the best basketball since the ‘80’s.  The NBA, where exciting happens.

Continue reading "The NBA, Where Only the Second Half ..."

Apparently the Miami Heat and the Phoenix Suns have agreed on a trade that would send Shaquille O'Neal to Phoenix in exchange for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks. I believe this is simply a knee-jerk reaction to the Los Angeles Lakers' acquisition of Pau Gasol (a brilliant move by L.A., by the way) and do not see how this trade can make sense from the Suns' vantage point.

Continue reading "Shaq Headed to Phoenix?"

I remember when Shaq came on the scene as the big guy on the Orlando Magic. He had the silly rap and the even sillier movies but was quite an admirable player. When he came to Los Angeles to play for my hometown Lakers – I was so pumped! The Big Aristotle was awesome to watch and added to the mystique and legend of the team.

Continue reading "Shed a Tear for Shaq"

What has happened to the NBA that I grew up with? I must admit, I have paid less attention to my Los Angeles Lakers and the NBA in general in the last season or two. Even so, I really feel like there is something missing.

Continue reading "Hope for the NBA?"