With Shaquille O’Neal’s magical mystery tour through the NBA finally come to an end, we are left to sum up the life, times, and career of one of the most dominant NBA players of all time.
At times Shaq was bigger than the league in which he played. His personality so gregarious and his style of play so overpowering, he commanded more of the spotlight than the rest of the league combined. And that was just fine with "The Big Aristotle" (my personal favorite nickname).
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| This really happened. |
Rap albums, movies (my favorite being the Robocop-esque Steel), commercials, and endlessly entertaining press conferences were as much a part of O’Neal’s career as his dominant play on the court. Perhaps the most prevalent evidence of his loving relationship with the media is that his official retirement will be held at his house so that he can, in his words, “host you [the media], feed you, relax, and talk about old times.”
Critics will say Shaq’s off the court antics were the reason he never got any better at the free-throw line, stayed in shape, or figured out a single post move until his seventh year in the league. I counter by positing that Shaq was too large of a personality to fit into one small box. He wasn’t a single-minded competitor like Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant or the quiet and humble type like Derrick Rose or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He was born to be an entertainer. That’s what he did on the court, and he didn’t stop once he stepped off the hardwood.
Rarely has a superstar in any sport been so accessible to the media, so authentic in front of the cameras, or so at ease with who he truly was. Perhaps this was the reason for the rift between O’Neal and Bryant; one was an easy-going goofball, the other a tightly wound perfectionist. Despite the contrast of styles and the distracting, bright lights of Los Angeles, Shaq delivered three consecutive titles to the purple and gold, all while rapping, appearing on TV shows, and treating every day of the offseason like an all-you-can-eat-buffet.
So immense was Shaq’s talent and so overwhelming his presence on the court that teams tolerated him routinely showing up to training camp out of shape and consistently missing large chunks of the regular season. Shaq’s response was always that he played when it mattered most and made free-throws when they counted. The game came easy to Shaq, and that’s how he likes it, in life and on the court. His feeling was always, why work when you can play?
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| The Big Dominator |
Shaq came into the league as a mammoth of a man, but once in LA he expanded into a certifiable colossus, fully growing into his body without losing the athleticism of his first years in the league. The results were astounding. In his eight-year run as a Laker Shaq averaged 27 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 blocks per game, won three championships, one MVP award, and three NBA Finals MVPs. During this period he was quite possibly the most dominant player ever to play the game.
Shaq’s play and his personality filled the void Jordan left with his retirement and carried the league when it easily could have slipped below the public consciousness. Yes, he could have worked harder. Yes, if he had shot 70% from the line instead of 50% we are probably talking about the greatest player of all time. But at the end of it all we are still looking at a four-time champion, one-time MVP, and one of the greatest personalities the sports world has ever seen.
So I tip my cap to you, Big Aristotle, for reminding us that basketball and life are not always dead serious; sometimes they are simply games to be played. Certainly, nobody had more fun playing the game of basketball, or life, than Shaquille, “The Big Cactus,” “The Daddy,” “Shaq-Fu,” “The Diesel,” “Superman” O’Neal.
"I'm just what America needs, another unemployed black man." ~ Charles Barkley upon his own retirement
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