Foreclosing on a Big Shaq

It’s 1992. You’re watching your favorite NBA team play and there is a stop in the action for a commercial break:

A big man knocks on a big door. A tiny sliding door within the frame of that big door opens and a voice behind it says,

“Password!?”

In response, “Don’t fake the funk on a nasty dunk!”

“You’re early.”

The man outside the door says, “But I’m ready.”

“Then prove it.”

When the door opens, there stands the Mount Rushmore of the NBA big men: Russell, Wilt, Kareem and Walton.

There they are waiting to see what this youngster can do. “The Diesel” takes the basketball and dunks on the rim, destroying the backboard “Chocolate Thunder” style. The big fella grabs the ball and is ready to hand it to the legends on a platter as if to say, “Here I am.”

Kareem responds saying, “That’s not enough,” and gives him a broom and dustpan.

Shaq replies, “This is one of those rookie things, right?”

And thus begins the colorful, dominating career that somehow leaves us wondering, “Couldn’t he have done more?”

Shaquille O’Neal took the NBA by storm in his rookie campaign in 1992-93. Not only did he go on to win rookie of the year, he finished 7^th in the MVP ballot, and finished in the top 10 in points, rebounds, blocks and field goal percentage. Finishing in the top 10 in those four categories is quite an accomplishment. He did it in his rookie season, and virtually every season after. Some people could be heard saying things like, “Wow, what power” or “How agile for a big man” and, “Another backboard bites the dust.” Meanwhile, at the same time, others were saying, “Can’t he hit a free throw?” or “He’s too much of a clown” and, “Stop doing movies and rap albums and focus on basketball.” It seemed all throughout Shaq’s career, it wasn’t possible to give him praise without some sort of caveat. Almost from the minute he left LSU, he was supposed to be the next Wilt Chamberlain, a dominating presence in the middle with size unmatched. Yet no matter how well he did, he would still get the backhanded praise like, “Of course he dominates, look how big he is.” And when the team would falter, he’d get, “How could he lose that game? He’s the biggest guy out there!” This is some of the criticism Shaq has always dealt with. If you were told that you would be a center taken #1 overall in the draft, go on to win an MVP, 4 rings, 3 finals MVPs and finish your career 2nd of all-time in field goal percentage, 12^th in rebounds, 7^th in blocks and 6^th in points, you would take it right? Of course, anyone would. So why has Shaq bounced around like a journeyman? Let’s review:

It’s June, 1992. Shaq is drafted by the Orlando Magic, an expansion team at the time. By his 2^nd season, with the help of another lottery pick, Penny Hardaway, they take the Magic deep into the playoffs for 3 straight years. They reach the finals in 1995, only to be outplayed and outclassed by Hakeem Olajuwon’s Houston Rockets.

It’s 1996.  After 4 seasons, Shaq decides that he can no longer play with Penny and leaves for L.A. He is the decided savior of a franchise that has fallen upon hard times. Shaq would be the missing piece needed to lead a bunch of young guys back to prominence. One of those young guys is Kobe Bryant, a kid who went from high school to the NBA and also had the aspirations of being the greatest of all time. Teaming with Shaq, who proclaims he is on the road to becoming the MDE, most dominant ever, it seems like a match made in Hollywood. By their fourth year together, Shaq wins an MVP award and they win a championship, the first of what would become a three-peat.  During their success, Shaq and Kobe bicker and battle. Shaq wants to be the man and Kobe isn’t going to hold back his game for anyone. It is as if Shaq is hoping Kobe will lighten up while Kobe is hoping Shaq will get serious. After a finals loss to the Pistons in 2004, Shaq decides he can no longer play with Kobe and tells Lakers’ ownership, “Me or him!” They choose Bryant. Shaq packs his bags and is on his way to the Sunshine state, after being traded to Miami in exchange for three players.

It’s the fall of 2004 in the humidity of Florida. Rededicating himself, Shaq teams up with up-and-coming star Dwyane Wade, and together they bring to Miami its first NBA crown, and Shaq’s fourth. It seems as though the Lakers had chosen the wrong star. However, as Shaq seems to do, he wears out his welcome in South Beach, yet continues to live by his expression, “I got hurt on company time, I’ll recover on company time.” After a first-round exit the next season, Shaq decides he can no longer play with Wade (do you see a pattern here?) and asks to be traded to Phoenix, wanting to team up with Steve Nash and promising to bring that elusive ring to the Southwest.

It’s 2008 and the season begins promising. Unfortunately, he has yet another first round exit against the Spurs. From here, he moves to up to the Northeast to play with King James and his Cleveland Cavaliers. By this point, Shaq is only getting in the way of LeBron’s explosive drives to the lane. They lose to the Celtics in the second round of the playoffs.

It’s 2010. Speaking of Boston, they decide to take a gamble on the now broken-down center for one last gasp. Shaq plays just 6 minutes total from the All-star break to the end of the season, and the team leaves with another early playoff exit.

It’s 2011. We’re on the verge of a possible retirement of one of the greatest players in NBA history. You can argue that Shaq ranks in the bottom part of the top 10 players in history, or perhaps just outside of that top 10. You can also argue that Shaq has been a great role model. No drug busts, no bouts with alcohol, no spousal abuse or anything off the court that the public could hold against O’Neal. But if you’re keeping score over an 18 year career, Shaq was fortunate enough to play with Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Steve Nash, LeBron James and Boston’s big 4. To add it all up, that’s 6 regular season MVPs, 4 Finals MVPs, and some of the greatest players in the past decade. He also played under Phil Jackson, Pat Riley, and Doc Rivers, who have a combined total of 17 NBA championships. When you look at it that way, are four championships enough? If he had stayed dedicated and hungry like his sidekciks along the way, is it plausible to say that Shaq could have challenged Bill Russell for rings, or at the very least Michael Jordan’s rings? And that, I believe, is how Shaquille O’Neal will be remembered. He won, he was funny, and he will be remembered, but the big question, what if?