100% done deal. Shaq passed his physical and is now officially a Phoenix Sun. This could be great for their team “IF” a lot of things go “right.” However, as a fan of basketball… the Suns/Lakers rivalry will be so full of blood I can’t even begin to think about a playoff series between these two teams. So much history and hatred… it’s going to be damn good… Welcome back to the West Shaq… Lakers ARE READY FOR YOU.
AZ Central: The Suns have completed the trade that will bring center Shaquille O’Neal to Phoenix in exchange for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks. O’Neal passed his physical exam to the Suns’ satisfaction this afternoon and a trade call was placed with the league to make the trade official. Marion and Banks, who remained in Phoenix this afternoon, still have to pass physicals with Miami in the next 72 hours or the Heat could rescind the deal but that is highly unlikely at this stage.
“I will not let you down,” O’Neal told Nash on the phone.
Related Links:
- ESPN: Shaq traded to Suns for Marion, Banks
BREAKING NEWS! Gasol officially traded to Lakers for Kwame!
Suns say trading Marion is unlikely; All-Star plans to report for camp
KG or KB24 to Suns is “considered unlikely.”
ESPN: Wolves contact Bobcats to reshape Garnett trade talks
Odom for Marion in the works?
Haha, good luck Phoenix. You are going to need it.
This is poetic justice… I cant wait!!!
shaq in a suns uni. LOL
YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYYAYAYAYA!
WE’RE GONNA KILL YOU! WE’RE GONNA KILL YOU!
HAHAHAHA awesome!!!!! Ilove it, it will only make victory that much sweeter. WE lost none of our core, and they lost a pivotal offensive piece. I love it! Bring it phoenix, Bring it!
FAAGET AASS SHAQ BETTER NOT WIN ANOTHER CHAMPIONSHIP JUST CAUSE HE WAS TRADED TO A CONTENDOR……but Having shaq Will SLOW them DOWN A LOT!!!!!!! lol
They gave up their best all around player (marion) for an old overpaid fat ass!
Look out - Suns fans are saying this will “rock the Lakers’ spirits”
ESPN Stein just reported this deal “WILL HAPPEN.”
Welcome back to the West Shaq. Meet Mr. Bynum.
shaq is way too slow to play in the suns offence
there offense is done, unless they like 4 on 5. Better develop that half court game, which overall will favor the lakers with bynum healthy!
LMFAO!!!!
GOOD LUCK!
fish bell
lo > hill
pau > amare
BIG BYNUM > shaq
Ahhh man the good news just keeps on coming. HAHHA this is a joke how is shaq going to keep up with that fast uptempo offense?? Whats going to happen after shaq is tired after 20 minutes of play? Phoenix’s envy of the Lakers will be the reason for their downfall, try to stop us with Shaq??? LOL
^
|
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fish bell
Well, the Suns are officially a joke. They might as well bring in Gary Payton, Allen Houston, Dennis Roddman, and throw in Shawn Kemp just to make it interesting.
Shaq? Please, don’t embarrass yourself by falling on the court gasping for air when Andrew Bynum beats you down the floor and dunks on Staudemire.
HA HA HA (accent on HA). This is stupid! Suns are old and we are young and vibrant. Bring it on! Bring it!
NOW THIS IS WHAT IM TLKN BOUT!! MAKE OUR RIVALRY THAT MORE INTENSE. DOES PHX REALLY NEED SHAQ? IDK BUT THEY R OBVIOUSLY TRYING TO SEND A MESSAGE TO US LAKERS. ADDING SHAQ ADDS MORE DRAMA AND SHAKES THINGS UP FOR THEM AS WELL. IT REPLACES A STARTER IN MARION WITH A SLUGGISH BIG MEN WHO IS GOING TO “DEFEND” SOMETHING SHAQ NEVER COMMITED TO. BUT WE WILL C WHAT HAPPPENS, OBIVOUSLY GASOL IS SCARRING THE WEST APART.
SAN-STOUDAMIRE
PHX-SHAQ
DAL-KIDD?
GS-WEBBER
Actually, if I’m the suns, I probably do this. What they have isn’t working anymore, and its clear now that they aren’t getting championships with that group. Marion ain’t resigning after this year. The Lake show just got real big. Shaq and Amare is a pretty damn big lineup. Given, the get ALOT slower when he’s in there. But Shaq can park his ass under the basket and Nash can certainly penetrate and get Shaq dunks. I think this is a 1 or 2 year shot at a ring while Nash can still get it done. Watch as Shaq rededicates himself and Miami folk say, “where the hell was that the last year and a half?” Sound familiar?
You know what would be super funny if in Shaqs first game he gets hurt again, and then they would have given away marion, well actually they did do that
I love it!
They say the third is a charm. So the Lakers will get the Suns on the playoffs for the third consecutive time. BUT, This time we will kill them and the best of all with Shaq on the team!!!!
So this will be the best revenge we ever can get. Kobe will vindicate himself and the Lakers fans will be in heaven.
So I say, bring fat old Shaq. That will make our victory over the Suns way more sweeter!
Shaq in an ugly orange uniform. New nickname: Big Pumpkin.
AHAHAHAH I wanna see shaq run up and down the court in the phnx offense, HAHAHA are u kidding me? this is your counter for the gasol trade??? U just burried urself a huge contact also, steve kerr will get fired!
dnt worry bout the suns its the heat fans tht r celebrating
Do they actually think this is a good deal for them? It puts them in a HUGE hole as far as money goes, not to meantion Shaq on a slide big time. He’s got a busted hip, he’s only getting older. Somebody get him a walker.
If this trade really happen just means one thing = desperation by the Suns!
WTF!!!! really menn the suns are desperated to get shaq
At first I thought what a stupid trade the suns made, slowing their team down with a 35 year old injury prone. But then I realized that the suns even though I hate them, they have a great front office and must know something that we dont. Shaq will add that presence in the paint to block shots but won’t be able to run, but on the 1/2 court game he can still dominte if he is played around 20-25 minutes a game. Lakers can still beat them by attacking shaq with bynum and gasol.
Wow.You heard it here first. Sacramento Bee will be reporting tomorrow that the Kings have agreed to trade Ron Artest and Brad Miller and a 2nd round pick to Golden State for Patrick O’Bryant, Austin Croshere, Marco Bellini, Mikael Pietrus and the Warriors 2010 1st round pick. The deal is pending physicals from Brad Miller and Ron Artest.
HAHAHAHA… This trade is great.
If we beat the Suns, it’ll be like hitting two birds with one stone. I hope we get to face them in the playoffs.
Correction: When we beat the Suns…
all i can say is wow! i can’t believe steve kerr actually pulled the trigger on this deal. i don’t wanna say anything cause we don’t know how it’ll work out for the suns, but as of right now i agree with all of you. im not sure shaq is capable of walking let alone running with the fast paced suns, but only time will tell i guess. but wow! i guess the west is feeling the pressure on our gasol trade! one great trade now created such an uproar that every team is now desperate to make a move! This nba season has just turned very interesting!!! haha LAKERS all the wayy baby! Let’s GO!
yeah id have to agree with u…we need to see what happens first…BUT, i must say, we definitely got the best deal out there =)
This is interesting! Good luck Shaq! Though i still admit that the Lakers would have not won the recent championships without him! Go Kobe! Win it this time!
This trade is similar to the Chris Webber trade where an aging NBA player is placed in a high tempo offense. In this case, this is clearly an overreaction to the Laker’s ste(a)llar Gasol trade. Many, including me, have agreed that this trade will benefit Miami more than Phoenix. However if O’neal is healthy enough, this team can be a dangerous in the playoff. Size and length is a potent ingredient in the Western Conference, especially with Shaq’s presence. He no longer has to be a dominant offensive force, but instead a defensive minded center. As long as O’neal is not required to play forty minutes, which is almost certain, and simply keep up with the Sun’s pace and shift his focus on intimidating the opposing team’s penetration, this might actually work for Phoenix. Steve Kerr might even force D’Antoni to restructure the offense of this team to accommodate and make use of Shaq’s left over potential. In the end , the Heat seem to be the clear winner of this trade and give in to Marion’s overpaid salary.
On another note, Dallas would’ve also benefited from acquiring Shaq if Devin Harris was still healthy (http://games.espn.go.com/nba/features/traderesult?players=614~2745~181~841&teams=6~14~14~14&te=&cash=).
Nevertheless, the Western Conference regains its strength as the Diesel shifts the power back from the East.
Ecstyle - The Sport’s Writa
theyre gonna regret this move. just wait
Where did u hear this from cuz i went to the sacbee website and dont see it there…
This will go down as the most stupid and desperate trades done this season.I think this is only the begining i look for Boston and Cleveland to try and acquire Kidd Boston clearly has nothing to offer maybe Posey and Rondo and some picks but clearly the Lakers acquisition of Gasol has started a turmoil in the entire league.GO LAKERS
I just hope Kobe’s finger doesn’t slow Kobe down i think they should really be careful with that maybe even give up a couple of games on this road trip im thinking of the long run we need Kobe to be 100% for the rest of the season and the playoffs!!!
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… WHY WOULD THEY TRADE SHACK D WADE NEVER GONNA GET AH NOTHER RING NOW LOL
I’m psyched about this move for the Suns because it means the Western conference is about to get less tough.
1. Marion puts up better numbers than Shaq in almost every category. He gets almost 3 rebounds per game better, about the same in points, but Marion is usually pretty injury free and can run the court. Oh yeah, Marion can hit free throws.
2. Shaq’s Injuries - Dude’s got busted hips, aching back, creaky knees. He’s not doing those heat pad commercials for no reason. He’s in good shape this season, but he’s still limited to 25 minutes a game. Phoenix isn’t terribly deep already, I don’t see how this helps. Shaq’s known for getting into foul trouble, if he gets into foul trouble the Suns are going to be severely underhanded on the floor. If they play Shaq off the bench with Amare at the 5, they’ll have that gaping hole where Marion used to be.
3. Shaq’s Offense. Shaq’s offense is still good and you should still respect it. But Marion runs the floor better and puts up more points. However, offense was never the Sun’s problem anyway. Shaq doesn’t really represent a change. If anything, it’s worse because I don’t see him running the Sun’s pace. If the Sun’s slow down their game to accommodate them, their primary strength (their offense) is going to suffer even if Shaq gets easy baskets.
4. Interior Presence. On the defensive end, he’s really more like Kwame Brown. He’s no longer mobile enough to box out fast guards so in essence he’s basically like a tree trunk taking up space.
Position is important, but it didn’t help the Lakers much, it’s not helping out the Heat, and more or less irrelevant in a matchup with the Lakers because they’re still going to need to double team Kobe, Gasol, or Bynum. Also given Shaq’s stamina, you have to wonder how long he can muscle opposing centers. Did I mention that Marion actually gets almost 3 rebounds more a game than Shaq?
5. The Future - The dude’s rapidly declining. Taking on Shaq’s bad contract is a gigantic risk for the Suns. They have maybe one or two seasons to do get it done before Shaq is going to be more of a liability than an asset (if he’s not there already). Then they’re stuck with an aged Steve Nash, a center who doesn’t play defense and has bad knees, and the Diesel on empty. Ouch.
6. The Sun’s System. This is pretty big to me. It’s obvious Shaq can’t play at the Sun’s pace, so they’re going to slow it down for him. Consequently, they’re going to score a lot less points. They’re defensive weaknesses are going to be more exposed if they can’t score as many points. They’re going to switch from a system they’ve built around for the last three years in midseason to a structured half-court game? And they’re taking this risk in the middle of the season with the best record in the conference? Yikes.
Woe! i took a Vicodin for my back pain and now i am beginig to see blurry i dont think thats normal sh!t i should have only taken half…G o o d n i g h t! ! !
im glad this trade went through. shaq is slow and injury prone. and easily the worst free throw shooter in the Suns. down the stretch, there wasn’t a Suns player who you should have fouled, now they have one of the worst free throw shooters in history.
Look I know he isn’t the shaq of old but it is shaq and a line-up with him Amera is kind of interesting. I think this will slow there offense down and that might just be what they need but we all nash can’t play half-court offense and marion was a key core player in there line-up all i am looking forward to is the match up. Kobe will quickly attack the suns to make a statement and I think are boy andrew will come out even more inspired to defend and prove something agansit shaq. Good trade for the suns on both ends. They just needed something to calm down the lakers…Oh well this actually made things alittle more exciting when we woop that ass.
shaq is out of form, i say bring the suns
The last thing the Suns should do is slow their offense down. In fact, they should speed it up. Lots of teams this year have shown that they can play the Sun’s pace and even exceed it. Think the Lakers when Bynum was in the game. We ran faster than them, got more easy baskets, and played better defense.
Take away the Suns speed and high powered offense and their weaknesses become more apparent. They don’t play bad defense because they put up 110 points, but slow it down and take less shots and that defense becomes questionable.
This deal is such a good thing for the Lakers. We got Pau Gasol, a seven footer with All-Star talent and didn’t even give up any of our TOP TEN players. The Suns are going to trade their 2nd or 3rd best player for a guy who plays limited minutes, doesn’t fit into their system, and might actually be worse.
As a Laker fan, I approve this trade.
LMFAO!!!!! BIG PUMPKIN!!
I think the trade is a desperate move by Phoenix. I could crack a lot of jokes, but Shaq brought 3 titles to this town and was loved by all the fans here. Show him some respect. I think he’ll do better in Phoenix than he did in Miami, barring anymore injuries. However, I don’t know what Phoenix is thinking… this changes their offense completely when he’s in the game. Also, Marion was a critical part in that run and gun offense.
omg “BIG PUMPKING”
“oh snap get outta the way, the giant pumpkin is wobbling down the court. he say’s he on his way to make some pie for kwame”
all i gotta say is that shaq is old and cant make any team better
WHO GIVES A $HIT! ABOUT THE SUNS AND THE LAKERS… NONE OF THEM MATTERS THE SPURS ARE STILL THE KING OF THE HILL… BWAHAHAHA… GETTING GASOL PROBABLY WOULD TAKE YOU OUT OF THE FIRST ROUND PROBABLY… NAH?! FIRST ROUND EXIT AGAIN LAKERS BWAHAHAHA…. I THINK SHAQ WAS ONE TRICK LEFT IN HIS SHEEVE AND THAT’S TO DENY THE LAKERS ANOTHER CHAMPIONSHIP… HAHAHA
KEEP PUTTING YOUR HOPES ON GASOL HE’S TOO SOFT FOR DUNCAN
GET THE FUK OUT>>> SPURS??
YOUR SORRY ASS IS GOING TO WITNESS THE LAKERS OWNING THE SPURS>>>
AND FOR SHAQ>>>>>> FATTT PUMPKIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
lol
LAKERS FOR LIFE
hey hey hey guys… slow down. More and more experts are actually starting to beleive positive outcome off this trade. At firt like most NBA fans, I was shocked… didn’t make sense anyhow. But the reason why this trade is happening is Phoenix needs inside presence, and who better to get than a big name like Shaq? Only concerns: how well will Shaq play?? Can he lighten himself up like he did when he went in Miami?
Steve Kerr is a clever a$$ b1tch guys. He knows he will have to go through Bynum, Duncan and Chandler to play longer in playoffs. Beleive me, if Shaq gets healthy, he might just fit allright with the Suns.
But the negative side of the trade is more dominent. That’s good news for us. No more “Matrix” to worry about. In the end, I will have to say : What are you thinking Phoenix?????(you ppls were no. 1 in West….ehehe….. going nowhere Suns:Nash and Shaq are antonyms.)
I was pretty surprised when I heard the trade but I am more surprised about how most of you are commenting about it. If you are a Laker fan…how can you talk so bad about someone that won us 3 championships and brought us so many laughs with his personality. It wasn’t his choice to be traded by the Lakers. I agree, he isn’t as dominant as he was and never will be but I still respect the guy. When its all said and done Shaq will be remembered as a Laker.
YEAH!!!!!!!!! I cant waut for big bynum to smash that FAT F**K in the playoffs……
HE AINT A LAKER NO MORE SO F**K HIM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
EVEN IF GASOL WAS TO SOFT FOR DUNCAN (WICH HE IS NOT). BIG BYNUM IS GONNA RIP DUNCAN APART. I CANT FOR THE LAKES TO PROVE YOUR HATIN A$$ WRONG
Shaq and Wade worked well in the East the past two seasons because the East is very soft, especially on the interior. Now that you move Shaq out West, he is going to take a beating on the inside which I don’t think he can handle at his age.
I see the Suns starting out well with the trade but then rapidly declining and finishing 3 or 4th in the conference.
Given the new offense they’ll have to implement and the lack of chemistry, I predict a first round exit especially if they end up playing someone like the Spurs or Mavs.
Lakers are gonna have their way with the suns come the playoffs… 4-0 Lakers fo sho!!
LOL!!!1 Suns PF: Amare? SF: Hill C: Shaq? LOL SG:Bell PG:Nash
Lakers PF: Pau SF: Lamar C: BIG BYNUM SG:Kobe PG:Fish
LOL SORRY ASS SUNS. THEY ALL TRYING TO TOP EVERYTHING WE DO
OUR LINEUP IS STILL YOUNGER, FASTER, BETTER, AND CAN KILL THEIR’s SO LET THEM HAVE SHAQ. THEY GONNA NEED 2 WEEKS OF TRAINING WITH HIM BECAUSE ON FEB20 WE SHOW THESE FOOLS THAT WE DESERVE SOME RESPECT AND THAT WE ARE BETTER THAN THESE LAME ASS HOES
FUCC PHOENIX FUCC THEIR FANS FUCC EM ALL!!!!!!!!
All i know is ODOM is gonna rip them to shreds even more is the coming playoffs
gasol/bynum vs. amare/shaq… will be a good match up if SHAQ comes to play.. thats fo sho
LMAO!
The Lakers were already a better team than the Suns before either teams made a trade. Now the Lakers get better and the Suns get worse! I love it! Once completly healthy, the Lakers are the best team in the NBA. I truely hope we see the Suns in the playoffs.
Wait just a minute phoenix! You wish the Lakers had a little less size and you had a little more size?
The perfect solution:
http://games.espn.go.com/nba/features/traderesult?players=617~510&teams=21~13&te=&cash=
Odom for Marion, straight up. That fulfills both your wishes.
And we can laugh as Odom jacks up airballs for you, and we get a true small forward for shizzle.
man oh man! im i gonna witness a lakers and celtics finals?… can’t wait for it…
hells yeah.
AND YOU KNOW THIS MEINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
Nba has got to be loving this!!!!! Snaq back in the west and the pacific. Lakers and boston got good again. Ratings will be skyrocketing. cant wait to play phoenix again and beat them in thye playoffs!!!
HOW IN THE WORLD WILL THEY RUN THERE OFFENSE NOW? SHAQ CANT KEEP UP BAD MOVE!
I CAN’T BELIEVE THAT SOME OF YOU ARE DEFENDING SHAQ. YES, HE HELPED US WIN THREE CHAMPIONSHIPS BUT, HE COULDN’T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT KOBE OR THE LAKERS ORGANIZATION. NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND! WHAT DID HE DO BEFORE HE BECAME A LAKER? HE GOT SWEPT BY AN AGING OLAJUWON IN THE NBA FINALS. I SAY “NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND” BECAUSE, AS PROVEN BY THE ACQUISITION OF GASOL, THE LAKERS WILL ALWAYS FIND WAYS TO PUT THEMSELVES IN CONTENTION.
HOW DOES SHAQ SHOW HIS GRATITUDE? HE REFUSES TO BE A GOOD “BIG BROTHER” ROLE MODEL AND OPTS TO FEUD WITH THE YOUNGER KOBE, HE GETS INTO HOMER SIMPSON SHAPE, AND THEN DEMANDS MAXIMUM MONEY FOR MAXIMUM YEARS THAT WOULD HAMPER THE TEAM FOR YEARS TO COME. ON THAT NOTE, JEANNIE BUSS REVEALED IN AN INTERVIEW THIS SUMMER THAT THE LAKERS DID OFFER SHAQ A CONTRACT THAT WAS ACTUALLY BIGGER THAN THE EXTENSION MIAMI GAVE HIM AND DONUT BOY STILL WENT TO THE HEAT.
BOTTOM LINE- HE LEFT A BIG BROWN STAIN WITH HIS FAT BUTT THAT STILL REEKS AROUND HERE. SHAQ BETRAYED THE LAKERS ORGANIZATION AND US THE FANS. LET’S STOP SUGAR COATING WHAT HE DID.
IN ADDITION, WHO HAS BEEN OUR HATED RIVAL THESE PAST FEW YEARS? THE UNDERACHIEVING AND YET, HIGHLY GLORIFIED SUNS. AND WHO DOES SHAQ GO TO????? THE SUNS.
TALK ABOUT “THE FINAL STRAW”….THIS GUY IS THE ULTIMATE BENEDICT ARNOLD TO US AND IT’S TIME WE ALL STARTED RECOGNIZING HIM AS SUCH. GOOD LUCK DONUT BOY.
I remember when PJ and D’antoni had that little riff where D’antoni got mad cuz PJ called taht time out during one of the games and PJ commented saying something like “PHX had their chance to win a championship, you only get 4 or 5 years to do that…” i think their chances are even lower now, cuz their offense will be totally broken…hahha I highly doubt theyll get passed the first round, and if they do…whoever in the second round will destroy them
You make some interesting points. But I think Shaq will always hold a special place in the hearts of many laker fans, including me.
So many great memories.
But then again, I still love Eddie Jones, Nick the Quick, and Sedale. Maybe I’m just to nostalgic. Couldn’t be like those Utah fans.
Did someone said Boston and Spurs??? Spurs are done boy. and Boston is like the mavs. Great regular season team but can never beat the Pistons(like mavs to spurs). Seriously, no matter how well they play in regular season, mavs and celtics will never win a ring with the same guys they have.
LA is seriously back in business. We are not looking at the first round, or second round. Now, we are just worried how we play in June. By the way, just thank God, Gasol is soft. If this 7-footer also gets tough and aggressive, we might just have found a Spanish Wilt. Either way, he gets his job done. that’s all we want from him. Leave the rest to KB24.
suck a dick you fag!!!
I love Shaq. He was my favorite Laker when he was on the team. So funny, off the court and dominant on the court. I got no problem with him. Some people just don’t get along (Kobe / Shaq). I moved out to Scottsdale a few years ago so I’m pretty psyched on the trade, because being a Laker fan it doesn’t affect me too much and now Shaq’s gonna be around town.
The Arizona Republic is officially calling him “THE BIG SAGUARO”.
But, I kind of like the “THE BIG PUMPKIN”. Has a nice ring too it!!
Shaq will be in most of the time against Spurs, Mavs, Lakers, Celtics, Pistons, Rockets and probably Denver.
But I see Shaq sitting out against teams that run like Golden State, Utah, and probably Denver.
The trade is okay, but will hurt them if Shaq is injured which he is half the time. And Shaq’s been playing injured since after the 2006 NBA Finals.
The Heat have no center anymore so they should run run and run. But with a PG like Jason Williams and Smush Parker, that’s not going to work out very well.
SAS - talking Shaq deal
Lots of interesting stuff - after the basic stuff
- Talking about money. Anyway brings up Wade and LeBron and how they will look to leave after their K is up unless the teams make major progress. Said LeBron to NJ or LA. Says Nike has a 9 figured deal lined up for LeBron if he’s in one of those two cities. Says LeBron wouldn’t need LA’s money because of what Nike is going to pay and LeBron would go play with Kobe. Wade has his eye on his hometown area of Chicago.
- Brings up how cold Riley is. Said once, Riley went right up to a player during a meeting with everyone there. Said he heard the player didn’t want to be there so he told him to get his (bleep) and had security escort the player out and he was dealt later. Happened before SVG was the coach but he wouldn’t say who. Riley had a major issue with Shaq after he tried to send Shaq out of practice and Shaq wouldn’t go. Riley’s answer to any problem is work harder - Shaq feels his success warrants a break.
- LA getting Gasol is the main reason Phx made that deal. Phx was satisfied with what they have - hence dealing away Kurt Thomas come draft night. But when LA made their move, Phx realized they only had 2 more years of Amare and Nash and both of those guys want a ring so they had to compete with LA’s size. [I don't believe that contract info is right but he said it.]
If the Shaq indeed is the big pumpkin that would be very interesting.
If we the Lakers beat them in the playoffs. That will make even sweeter the victory.
If we lose, that will make much more painful.
The thing this trade confirm to us, is that the Gasol trade is the best trade of the season, better than KG and much better than Shaq.
Good job Kupcake!
lafan wrote: ” If you are a Laker fan…how can you talk so bad about someone that won us 3 championships and brought us so many laughs with his personality. ”
We have long memories. LA loved him until when he dissed us all by asking to be traded and then kept on bad-mouthing us from Miami. He fired the first and second shot in this. Now he’s game.
Of course, he didn’t help his own cause either. He’s lazy, sits out half the season, his work ethics suck, he’s prone to injury, he eats more than his legs can carry, and there are very few teams he could thrive on. I’m at a loss how a run-and-gun team like Suns who thrive on running up and down the court, whose whole offence predicates on movement of players would gamble like this on someone who is epitome of static play. Imagine this: four suns running up the court after getting a rebound… and waiting for the fifth one to arrive, and waiting, and waiting and waiting… Before the trade, Marion was the first one to dart out of the backcourt and run up the court for an easy layup. They traded that speed for this? I don’t get it.
Maybe the Suns have something else in mind, to make a bench player out of Shaq. Or maybe they’ll have a talk with him and tell him: “Remember how you like to sit out half the season? How about you instead rest 95 percent of each game?” Maybe there are situations Shaq can help them. It’s not like I have not been surprised before.
Phoenix is in a panic mode. Why would they trade for an oft-injured, lazy, un-motivatated, over-the-hill player like Shaq?
Kobe, Bynum, Gasol, Odom, Fisher: pick your poison. Who would want to face that? I smell a championship in our near future!
I wouldn’t mind watching a Shaq/Bynum matchup four (or more) times a year for the next few years. Watching Bynum rising in experience and stature while Shaq keeps falling apart and slowing into oblivion, getting blocked or posterized by the young lad, that would erase any memory of Shaq’s greatness and strip him of any shred of dignity unless you watch ESPN Classic 5 years from now. Man, what a way to go for Shaq…
Thinking about that possibility maybe he’ll start doing the reverse of what he did in 2004: make a big stink and ask for a non-trade.
Hey Suns, one more trade like the Marion/Shaq trade and I’ll guarantee you titles for the next 10 years. All you have to do is trade Nash for Alonzo and you’ll be home free. If Miami resists throw in Barbosa in the trade and I’m sure Riley will laugh all the way to Marcus Banks… I mean Riley will consider a trade as a personal favor.
It’s funny to me that he makes this bold commitment to Nash, but why didn’t he just say this to DWADE?! It seems like O’Neal goes into a city hungry, then he falls off and commits elsewhere. Sorry Shaq, it doesn’t look like your “flip the switch” tactics will work this time. The guy is aged, out of shape, injured, and his career lows tanked with D.Wade on the team. BRING IT is right. Gasol + Bynum >>>> Shaq + Amare
Wow… Shaq dissers have new ammo. They forget he brought 3 straight ships to LA. Three times MVP in the finals and a league MVP. They forget the lakers would have 3 ships less if not for him. He was the diesel. As far as Shaq losing to Hakeem and Houston he was just a big pup then learing how to win. I was glad to see him go because he was on the downhill and did not take care of his body, but he will always be a Laker and he will have his name retired. The lakers have moved on and might have another streak of ships in them. Those who spew bitterness toward Shaq why don’t you Balance your Bitterness with Gratitude. Gratitude for three extra ships because of the Most Dominant Big Man of His Era.
I hear what you’re saying. I liked Shaq too …
when he was on the Lakers.
He’s no longer a Laker. No reason to support him anymore.
I agreed,
Shaq thanks for the past.
But now, screw you and the Suns altogether!
The #1 and 2 Lakers rivals these past few years have been Phoenix and Miami. Phoenix because of the two playoff series. Miami because of Shaq. Now combine them into one. And you have just motivated Kobe even more every time the Lakers face the Suns. Kill two birds with one stone. I hate the Suns and now since Shaq is one of them, you can’t expect me to root for him.
This has got to be the stupidest trade in nba history. Why would you trade for a man that can only play 20 games a season now? Plus he’s slow and will definately slow down your offence?! real genius move here.
ab4sure writes: “why don’t you Balance your Bitterness with Gratitude.”
Shaq had all the gratitude before, during and after the championships. That was through all his years of shortcomings and failings, free throw wows (remember hack-a-shaq?), feuds with Kobe, his weight problems, his health problems. We stuck with him and his positive attributes. But he didn’t want to stick with us. At the end, he had no gratitude.
We’re talking about the p