OT: What Shaq said to Lopez

[Da_O]

http://tinyurl.com/d7245v

It took a little while, but O'Neal was finally asked about the incident on Sunday, and sure enough he didn't disappoint. So, what was Shaq trying to tell Lopez late in that game?

Put it this way, commissioner David Stern is not going to be happy about it.

"Put somebody on their (expletive) back," O'Neal said. "Don't let nobody oopsey-doopsey layup on you, then be laughing at you. You ever see me get dunked on? No. Because I put (expletives) on their back. Period.

"That's what I told him. If he's going to be a big man, be a big man. Don't be out there (expletive) around. Lay somebody on their (expletive) back. Wilt (Chamberlain) told me that. Bill Russell told me that. Hakeem (Olajuwon) told me that. All the great big men told me that.

credited to Ichidaman from ESPN sports boards, if it hasn't already been discussed on here.

 

[Da_O]

Nice, caring guy off the court, classless on the court.

 

[AgentDrazenPetrovic]

and if you remember, he did on the next play (or two plays) down.

 

[Kaydow]

I'm not a big Shaq guy, but is this really big news?

Maybe the fact that he said it out loud I guess. But there IS an unwritten code in the NBA, especially when you're in or heading towards the playoffs - DON'T GIVE UP EASY BASKETS. Not Trevor Ariza style where you could seriously hurt somebody, but hard fouls. I know I get fired up when I see somebody go right to the tin on us w/o getting touched.

 

[Da_O]

I'm not a big Shaq guy, but is this really big news?

Maybe the fact that he said it out loud I guess. But there IS an unwritten code in the NBA, especially when you're in or heading towards the playoffs - DON'T GIVE UP EASY BASKETS. Not Trevor Ariza style where you could seriously hurt somebody, but hard fouls. I know I get fired up when I see somebody go right to the tin on us w/o getting touched.

Not really, but it seems to become a ritual around here to post links of things that have absolutely anything to do with the Blazers.

Or as some people call them the Zurz.....

 

[Master Shake]

All he is saying is don't give up easy baskets. Like, foul them hard and I see nothing wrong with that.

 

[handiman]

You guys would be cheering him on for saying that if he were a Blazer. And to think Shaq gets labeled the ass...

 

[RoyToy]

Oden has that aggressiveness Shaq is talking about.

 

[Денг Гордон]

Put em on their backs Shaq.

[video=youtube;LQNTMDzyaJc]
[video=youtube;wygM8Qd79O4]

Shaq knocked Jordan down once (but not on his back) and proceeded to get embarassed by Jordan.

[video=youtube;TUkuQQxh-pc]

and Dwight Howard sending Shaq on his back.

[video=youtube;ifDl0fNDEr0]

A little Blazers action.

[video=youtube;1cTO2YWonbI]

Knock em on their back.

 

[julius]

Sometimes it is easy to forget just how great Michael Jordan was. I don't think Kobe or LeBron are even in his neighborhood.

 

[STOMP]

All he is saying is don't give up easy baskets. Like, foul them hard and I see nothing wrong with that.

hard fouls to prevent layups are fine, cheap shots that endanger an opponent's health aren't. Throwing the ball at an opponent's face after they drew a charge on you is something else. Bracing your fall with the ball on a prone opponents face is BS

Because someone is wrong on an occasion doesn't make them wrong across the board.

STOMP

 

[Денг Гордон]

Sometimes it is easy to forget just how great Michael Jordan was. I don't think Kobe or LeBron are even in his neighborhood.

Yeah. I think it's pretty clear that a lot of people who say that Lebron or Kobe are on MJ's level either 1. Didn't watch MJ play ever or 2. Are Lakers/Cavs fans.

Watching the Bulls dynasty DVD sets for each championships is amazing. Jordan was so great. It'll be hard for someone to outdue Jordan.

The way to put Kobe on a pedestal over Jordan, while not outright claiming Kobe is better, is to say that Kobe is a better scorer than Jordan, which is again false.

Kobe averages 25.1 career PPG, and his best year was 35.4 PPG. Kobe has a career TS% of 55.7, and only 55.9 TS% in his 35.4 PPG season, and a career best TS% of 58%.

Michael Jordan has a career average of 30.1 PPG, a high of 37.1 PPG. Scored over 30 PPG 8 freaking seasons. Is his 37.1 PPG season Gordon had a 56.1 TS%. Career average of 56.9 TS%. Best of 61.4 TS%.

And you have to keep in mind that Jordan's offensive stats are a tad bit deflated because of the perimeter hand check rule in comparison to Kobe.

And Jordan was a far superior passer and defender.

 

[Nikolokolus]

You guys would be cheering him on for saying that if he were a Blazer. And to think Shaq gets labeled the ass...

Abso-fucking-lutely.

I LOVE that Shaq told this to Lopez, my respect for the big fella just went up a couple of notches.

 

[barfo]

Michael Jordan has a career average of 30.1 PPG, a high of 37.1 PPG. Scored over 30 PPG 8 freaking seasons. Is his 37.1 PPG season Gordon had a 56.1 TS%. Career average of 56.9 TS%. Best of 61.4 TS%.

Gordon, Jordan, let's call the whole thing off.

barfo

 

[rocketeer]

I'm not a big Shaq guy, but is this really big news?

Maybe the fact that he said it out loud I guess. But there IS an unwritten code in the NBA, especially when you're in or heading towards the playoffs - DON'T GIVE UP EASY BASKETS. Not Trevor Ariza style where you could seriously hurt somebody, but hard fouls. I know I get fired up when I see somebody go right to the tin on us w/o getting touched.

the bolded part in no way describes the suns.

 

[Fender]

Oh wow, does anyone else here think that that's the big secret all those big men told Oden at the beginning of his career? I am too lazy to search for that video but when we drafted Oden, I remember NBA.com or something had a video on Oden hanging out with Walton, Russell, Ewing, etc. and they all told him the "big man secret". They also told Oden to never tell anyone it.

 

[hasoos]

It seems pretty obvious to me that some folks on this board have become pro-occupied with what Shaq says and does. Why don't you go form a Shaq message board, and discuss it there?

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

Wilt, Bill, and Hakeem should also have told Shaq to work on his FT's.

 

[Kaydow]

Sometimes it is easy to forget just how great Michael Jordan was. I don't think Kobe or LeBron are even in his neighborhood.

Amen. MJ was the greatest of all time. Kobe does a lot of things that remind you of MJ, and for the last 8-10 years he's the LAST guy in the league you want with the ball in his hands at the end of a game with a chance to beat you.

Kobe's style of play is the closest thing I've ever seen to MJ as well. The spin moves, explosion, body control, acrobatics, etc. It's like Kobe spent his childhood imitating everything MJ did. They really are extremely similar to watch.

Devil's advocate: I can't say for sure if you put a 20 year old Kobe in a Bull's uniform back in 1984 with the roster that existed back then that he couldn't have done what MJ did. What amazes me about MJ was his durability though. Take away his second season where he broke his ankle, and he only missed 1 game in the other 5 of his first 6 seasons. With the way he flew at the basket - that is unbelievable. Kobe's had 4 seasons where he played less than 70 games (five really, but the lock-out 98-99 not withstanding) Broken ankle and 1995 late season comeback aside, MJ missed 7 games in 11 seasons. What a stud. I can't even follow through with a Devil's advocate comparison here - MJ is the greatest.

 

[handiman]

Wilt ... should also have told Shaq to work on his FT's.

Now, that's funny!

 

[PapaG]

It seems obvious to me that some posters are pre-occupied with commenting on what subjects other posters are talking about. Why not start and S2-poster message board, and discuss it there?

Shaq didn't knock anybody on the ground, lets his team get down 20, and then gets mad because Robin Lopez won't act like a thug. Lopez should have thrown a towel in Shaq's face.

 

[LittleAlex]

Sometimes it is easy to forget just how great Michael Jordan was. I don't think Kobe or LeBron are even in his neighborhood.

It is easy to forget how good players from the previous generations were.

I do get offended when people talk about the Next MJ. How about there isn't going to be a next MJ?

 

[hasoos]

None of the guys who play now had to play with the 2 hands rule on defense. None. So IMO, no players will ever reach the level Jordan reached. The way the game is played now makes it impossible.

 

[Денг Гордон]

It is easy to forget how good players from the previous generations were.

I do get offended when people talk about the Next MJ. How about there isn't going to be a next MJ?

Yes, but we have to be careful with this.

This was a discussion we were having on Blog a Bull. Some guy said that none of the current Bulls would start on the Celtic's championship teams.

Then me and others were pointing out how there were a lot of White American players in the league then, and how there aren't really any good white American players in the NBA now, and how Gordon with his sophisticated offensive game and Rose with his athleticism would probably be viewed as legends if they played back then.

I think the era where there was a lot of white's in the NBA was of lesser caliber. But once there were more blacks in the league, it is equal to this era, with offensvie prowess being greater in that era because of the handchecking.

 

[hasoos]

Yes, but we have to be careful with this.

This was a discussion we were having on Blog a Bull. Some guy said that none of the current Bulls would start on the Celtic's championship teams.

Then me and others were pointing out how there were a lot of White American players in the league then, and how there aren't really any good white American players in the NBA now, and how Gordon with his sophisticated offensive game and Rose with his athleticism would probably be viewed as legends if they played back then.

I think the era where there was a lot of white's in the NBA was of lesser caliber. But once there were more blacks in the league, it is equal to this era, with offensvie prowess being greater in that era because of the handchecking.

What does having no good white american players now have to do with it? There have been few white players, ever, who were on the level of Bird and McHale. Ever. Let alone players of any racial background.

 

[STOMP]

Sometimes it is easy to forget just how great Michael Jordan was. I don't think Kobe or LeBron are even in his neighborhood.

everyone is entitled to their opinions... that there is no way to conclusively compare players from different eras is mine.

PER is probably the most sited statistical measure on our board these days. MJ's greatest season PER was 1990-91 where he generated a 31.6... that happens to be the same exact number that LeBron is averaging this year. At least by that measure, LJ seems very much in MJ's neighborhood

Anyhoo, what does this have to do with the thread topic again?

STOMP

 

[Da_O]

everyone is entitled to their opinions... that there is no way to conclusively compare players from different eras is mine.

PER is probably the most sited statistical measure on our board these days. MJ's greatest season PER was 1990-91 where he generated a 31.6... that happens to be the same exact number that LeBron is averaging this year. At least by that measure, LJ seems very much in MJ's neighborhood

Anyhoo, what does this have to do with the thread topic again?

STOMP

FUSUY

MJ's greatest statistical season was actually 87-88 where he had a PER of 31.7. According to PER, Lebron is having a better season than MJ, with a PER of 31.73. However, I'm not a believer of one statistical metric being the end all measurement for a player's worth. Especially when it doesn't take into account winning, clutchness, or defense.

 

[JE]

This is why I enjoy 80s games on ESPN Classic. None of the crying about CHEEP SHAWTZ or KLASSLISS PLAIORZ! Shit happened in 80s games, the majority of players weren't pussbags, everyone dealt with it. Entertainment and game quality then >>>>>>>> today.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

Oh wow, does anyone else here think that that's the big secret all those big men told Oden at the beginning of his career? I am too lazy to search for that video but when we drafted Oden, I remember NBA.com or something had a video on Oden hanging out with Walton, Russell, Ewing, etc. and they all told him the "big man secret". They also told Oden to never tell anyone it.

Very possibly. It explains why Oden fouls hard when he fouls (not counting the random bullshit calls he gets by being big). I think the bullshit calls have backfired this plan, whereby everyone runs at him trying to pick up foul #4. But, yeah, I think that was the secret.

 

[Da_O]

This is why I enjoy 80s games on ESPN Classic. None of the crying about CHEEP SHAWTZ or KLASSLISS PLAIORZ! Shit happened in 80s games, the majority of players weren't pussbags, everyone dealt with it. Entertainment and game quality then >>>>>>>> today.

Are you kidding? The 80's were notorious for their bad defenses and frenetically fast pace. Sure a hard foul, wasn't considered hard today but shouldn't the league try and protect the players? If not we'd still have this going on.

[video=youtube;m-FndnLvRRs]

There wasn't even a flagrant or ejection given. And we'd still probably have the enforcer position with guys like Charles Oakley still running around.

But hey that's just me.