Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal, nicknamed Shaq, is an American retired professional basketball player who is currently an analyst on the television program Inside the NBA. Listed at 7 ft 1 intall and weighing 325 pounds, he was one of the heaviest players ever to play in the NBA. O'Neal played for six teams throughout his 19-year NBA career...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionBasketball Player
Date of Birth6 March 1972
CityNewark, NJ
CountryUnited States of America
I'm dominant every night. I come in every night and get beat up. I never make a face when they try to flagrant or hack-a-Shaq me, because I'm not from this planet. Earthlings don't faze me.
I painted my toenails before Dennis Rodman. One time at training camp, I stubbed my toe and the nail came loose. My mom gave me some toenail hardener, and I painted over it. I scored 40-something points that night, so it became a ritual. Paint my toenails, score 40 points.
We're going to miss Damon. He was a great shooter. . . . He got what he wanted, but he gave up a lot. No more night life, no more warm weather and no more a lot of media attention. . . . I guess this was his first shot at getting something big. I guess he had to take it.
I play against a front and a back every night, Ming does not have to do that, Duncan does not have to do that, Garnett doesn't do that. I am the only one that has to do that.
That game was dedicated to Rick Adelman. I'm at home, in the bathroom, trying to take a dump, flipping through the channels and he's complaining (on TV) about how I'm stepping over the line. I can't even do a No. 2 in peace. I'm sitting there grunting at 12:30 at night. Can I go one day without somebody saying something negative about me?
Yeah, D-Wade called me up last night and said that he saw some film of me in high school and thinks that my form then was better and that I should shoot like that. I told him I'd think about it and then my pops called and said something like that so I decided to revert back and then...
I ate too many Frosted Flakes. I don't remember what I said last night.
We just need to develop some type of consistency.
It was very frustrating. However, I knew when I saw (official) Bob Delaney out there it would be trouble. You just can't make the mistakes that we did and win in this building.
My comments were made out of frustration in the heat of the moment. But I realize that my choice of words was inappropriate and again, I would like to apologize.
I think he's the true definition of a great player and you guys should recognize that. I think the recognition of a great player has been lost the last 10, 15 years.
We have a new leader, and we just have to go out and get the job done.
I would say Detroit, Indiana, Cleveland, Jersey, darn near every good, solid team in the East. The Lakers, I think it's more of a TV-rating rivalry than a real rivalry. If we could both make it to the Finals a couple of years in a row, then it could be a real rivalry.
I got into foul trouble early and never got into the flow of the game. The foul trouble is very frustrating, and I knew when I saw (referee) Bob Delaney I was going to be in trouble anyway. We did still have chances to win the game; we just made mistakes you can't make in this building.