Shaq | Larry Brown Sports

D-Wade Calls Out Shaq, Riley Unhappy

November 17, 2007 By Larry Brown 4 Comments

The Heat have been nothing short of a mess this year. Not to say that they don’t have plenty of time to turn things around this year — they do — but they’ve still been a mess, and I always love to criticize demented franchises when they’re down. The Heat of course, are no exception. Team leader Dwyane Wade returned to action this week and wasted no time taking Shaq to the woodshed:

“Probably this year more so than any year I have been more vocal with Shaq, talking to him and trying to motivate him,” Wade said Thursday before the Heat left for a game at Boston tonight. “But the main thing is Shaq has got to be self-motivated. He has got to be willing and ready to do it.”
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“Even though he is not getting the ball as much as he wants, we need him to help lead this team in other ways, whether it’s rebounding the ball or passing the ball the way he knows how to pass,” Wade said.

Stop me if you’ve heard this before … Shaq being lazy. Hmm. Never would’ve thought it was possible. Meanwhile, Mr. Slick appreciates Wade’s leadership, but doesn’t like him going public with the problem, preferring to keep matters in-house. Naturally. Bottom line: Shaq is nowhere near the player he used to be and is probably lacking the motivation he once had. Still, it’s a long season, and they have plenty of time to get it together. NOT! They’re toast.

(Chest Bump to Matt Watson at NBA FanHouse)

Filed Under: Basketball Tagged With: Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat, Pat Riley, Shaq

Shaq’s Wife Now Wants Him Back

October 10, 2007 By Larry Brown 1 Comment

If there’s anything we’ve learned from the story of Shaq’s marriage and pending divorce, it’s that everything is going ass backwards. For instance, there were reports out there that Shaq was pissed his wife was being cryptic with his money, and that she potentially was nailing her personal trainer on the side. Now we’re finding out that Shaq’s wife has come to her $enses:

Like a lot of his NBA’s foes, Shaquille O’Neal’s wife is holding onto the Diesel for dear life, telling him in court papers that she doesn’t think their nearly five-year marriage is “irretrievably broken.”
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Shaunie O’Neal also slam-dunks any notion, as Shaq had alleged in his own divorce petition, that she was “secretive” about her assets and also says she hasn’t done anything “untoward with assets or monies” that belonged to Big Daddy.

This entire situation is just hard to comprehend. We always hear rumors about ballplayers screwing around on their wives, but never the reverse. And come on, of all people, Shaq getting cuckolded? Like I said, seems like the woman has realized what’s best for her.

Filed Under: Basketball, Gossip Tagged With: Shaq

Shaq, Hinting Divorce Long Time Ago?

September 6, 2007 By Larry Brown 11 Comments

Tas over at The Basketball Jones, which by the way, broadcasts a must-hear podcast, posted an old video of Shaq making a snide remark to a reporter. Given the recent news of Shaq’s impending divorce, this clip is a hell of a lot more relevant, if not comical. Take a peak:

Filed Under: Basketball, YouTubeage Tagged With: Shaq

Shaq Backs Kobe, Slams Jerry Buss

May 30, 2007 By Larry Brown 1 Comment

Maybe some credence needs to be lent to the whining baby that is Kobe Bryant. Screamin’ A. Smith (you know what the A stands for, right?) got Shaq to comment on all the rumors of Kobe Bryant’s potential trade demands, and Kobe’s statement that the Lakers were making him the scapegoat. Kobe specifically said that Jerry Buss told him the Lakers weren’t going to re-sign Shaq before Kobe even decided if he would become a free agent. Here’s what the Big Fella said:

“I believe Kobe 100 percent,” said O’Neal, reached yesterday while in Los Angeles on business. “Absolutely. There’s no doubt in my mind Kobe is telling the truth. I believe him a thousand percent. I would have respected Dr. Buss more as a man if he would have told me that himself, because I know he said it. But he didn’t [tell me]. He never said a damn word to me.”

Well shoot howdy! It ain’t often you can get Kobe and Shaq to come out on the same sides of an issue — this has to be accurate. But it still doesn’t change the fact that Kobe is kicking, screaming, and calling every media outlet possible to get his side of the story heard. Yeah, that’s a great way to get potential teams interested in trading for you.

Filed Under: Basketball Tagged With: Jerry Buss, Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers, Shaq

Riley, Wade, Shaq Are Feeling the Heat

April 23, 2007 By Larry Brown Leave a Comment

The jersey’s unraveling by it’s thread and nobody wants to admit it. Miami’s already lost Game 1 of the series, and the Heat are searching for answers, with Pat Riley taking D-Wade to the woodshed:

‘I’m not going to give him a pass,” Riley said of Wade. “He did not do the job defensively that he had to do. And we just have to face that fact.”

Clearly D-Wade is feeling the pressure as well:

”Coach [Pat Riley] expects the world out of me,” Wade said Sunday. “He expects more out of me than anybody probably ever expected.’

Make no mistake about it — the Heat rode Wade’s hot performance to the title last year. But that magic doesn’t appear to be happening again this year. Luol Deng blew up the spot with a playoff career high 33 on Saturday. Shaq being the sore loser that he is, was bitching about the refs, blaming them for the Heat’s loss. Miami still has plenty of room to turn it around and make a run, but a run won’t get them to the finals this year. And if they do make the run, it will be because of Shaq (who needs to stay on the court), not Wade.

Filed Under: Basketball Tagged With: Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat, Pat Riley, Shaq