Shaq vs. Van Gundy

by DieSlowKeyshawn on Mar 4, 2009 7:45 PM EST Comment 19 comments

The episode that inspired this latest Shaq rant came after O'Neal took an elbow to the chest from Dwight Howard during a third-quarter Magic possession during Orlando's 111-99 victory and crumbled to the floor looking to draw an offensive foul.

"I was shocked, seriously shocked," Van Gundy said, "and very disappointed because he knows what it's like. Let's stand up and play like men, and I think our guy did that tonight."

Shaq:

"I heard his comment. Flopping to me is doing it more than one time, and I realized when I tried to take the charge, as I went down, I realized that that play reminded me of his whole coaching career," O'Neal said of Van Gundy. "And one thing I really despise is a frontrunner, so I know for a fact that he's a master of panic, and when it gets time for his team to go in the postseason and do certain things, he will let them down because of his panic. I've been there before, I've played for him."

"Flopping is playing like that your whole career. I was trying to take the charge, trying to get a call. It probably was a flop, but flopping is the wrong use of words. Flopping would describe his coaching," O'Neal said, steering the conversation back to Van Gundy. "I'm not going to just sit abound and let nobodies take shots at me, and he is a nobody to me. And if he thinks he can get in a little press conference and take shots at me like I'm not going to [give] something back, he's got another thing coming."

"I said I flopped, but flopping is falling and crying and complaining to the ref. I tried to take a charge. The rules say when a guy comes into your chest and you fall, that's an offensive foul, and that's all I tried to do. I fell, didn't complain, he made a great move, spun and dunked it, but flopping is the wrong choice of words. So that's all I've got to say about that, but again, I despise frontrunners, I despise them. And that's what he is to me."

This FanPost was made by a member of the Orlando Pinstriped Post community, and is to be treated as the opinions and views of its author, not that of the blogger or blog community as a whole.

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Shaq = as much class as his Kmart brand shoes

end of story

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by magic12ball on Mar 4, 2009 9:19 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Thanks for the FanPost, DSK.

If I saw it sooner, I would have just referenced it in my news bulletin. Sorry about that.

Former Senior Writer for DePaul's Scout.com website

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by erivera7 on Mar 4, 2009 10:40 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

eh no worries

saw the headline on espn.com, came here expecting to see it and it wasn’t up yet, so I figured I’d link it.

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by DieSlowKeyshawn on Mar 5, 2009 11:50 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I don't always agree with Shaq but...

He has as much room to comment as Van Gundy did. Obviously it was a play that made Shaq look bad but, in retrospect, it was a good decision considering Howard was playing in foul trouble and the ref’s would’ve been in his head had Shaq gotten that call.

Van Gundy had no real reason to call Shaq out in the manner that he did. Since he did, Shaq has a right to respond and he did. Honestly, what has Van Gundy won in his career? He hasn’t even been as successful as his brother yet he feels he can comment on a future hall of famer and talk about how he lost a lot of respect for a future hall of famer? Please. Van Gundy was the head coach of the same Miami Heat team that won the finals in 2006 that lost Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals AT HOME in 2005.

This Magic team is a good team. Hopefully Hedo doesn’t leave this offseason after his opt out clause kicks in… Van Gundy just needs to shut his mouth and coach just like Shaq needs to shut his mouth and play.

by Boney on Mar 4, 2009 11:35 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Why...

Is everything bringing up the fact that Van Gundy hasnt won anything? What does that have to do with blatantly disrespecting someone else after they made a little comment after a game? Sure, SVG couldve not said anything, but he was more standing up for Dwight than anything since Shaq was talking so much crap about him pre-game. But the response is hardly equal to the initiation, SVG pointed out something Shaq has been so vehement about before in flopping, so apparently that makes it OK for Shaq to call out SVG, his brother, and Patrick Ewing about their entire careers? Please. And BTW, the reason SVG didnt have a ring in Miami was the fact that D-Wade got hurt in Game 5 of that ECF series and wasnt close to 100% for Game 7, and SVG basically got fired because Shaq quit on him at the beginning of the next season. I’m really just tired of this whole “Shaq has 4 rings, he can say whatever the hell he wants to” argument, Tim Duncan has 4 rings but doesnt feel the need to belittle every person he comes in contact with. And about Shaq’s merits, can everyone please stop saying he single handedly won his 4 rings, it’s a team game, I dont remember Shaq winning with Eddie Jones and Nick Van Exel before Kobe came along. He should feel lucky he’s gotten to play with possibly 2 of the top 10 2 guards of all time when its all over. Ugh I’m pissed off about this.

Pistons suck.

by Paul Finger on Mar 5, 2009 2:41 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

amen!

You read it! You can't unread it!

by TheGiantSquid on Mar 5, 2009 10:54 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

you're right

it is a team game.

Since when has Shaq, LeBron or anyone won without at least 4 other teammates who could fit somewhat into a scheme and play together?

No matter what, both guys are to blame but SVG complained first about it so Shaq has a leg to stand on in retaliating.

SVG has not accomplished anything in the NBA except coach a team to hot starts and then have them fade when it matters most. Shaq hasn’t won a title without DWade or Kobe but then again, he lost chances at a ring with Kobe too…

You’re right, it DOESN’T matter what SVG has done in the game… but then again SVG hasn’t lead anyone anywhere and is nowhere near a Hall of Fame talent like Shaq is.

He should’ve kept his mouth shut and Shaq wouldn’t have had anything to say. SVG really isn’t that great of a coach, and he has been the recipient of very talented rosters in his short career as a head coach.

by Boney on Mar 5, 2009 2:54 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

your arguments make my head explode

He should’ve kept his mouth shut and Shaq wouldn’t have had anything to say.

Actually, Stan doesn’t HAVE to do anything, least of all coddle a 37-year-old petulant child. And Shaq could have just as easily let the comment go and made his usual smart-ass, yet harmless, remark—but he didn’t. Shaq’s the one with the problem and he’s the one people are blasting in the news, not Stan.

By the way, Stan’s only been coaching our team for less than two seasons. Let’s hold off on the “STAN’S A FAILURE” nonsense. Doc Rivers utterly failed at getting any of his teams to the finals until last year, so your argument that Stan has no “right” to complain is ridiculous.

You read it! You can't unread it!

by TheGiantSquid on Mar 5, 2009 3:15 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Doc River is still a fairly terrible coach

with a loaded roster. The majority of us on this board could have taken that team to the finals last year. Just ask Celtics’ fans how they felt about Doc utilizing his substitutions in the playoffs last year, garbage.

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by DieSlowKeyshawn on Mar 5, 2009 7:28 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

this is kinda dumb

you remind me of some of the commenters on ESPN’s message boards. I respect your opinion, but i really shouldnt.

by Roc on Mar 5, 2009 6:11 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Shaq can say what he wants.....

…and so can SVG. I think SVG has every right given the history between the two to say what he said, and Shaq had every right to show is what he is, a bitter old man. Shaq with no Wade=no ring. Shaq with no Kobe=no ring(s). Shaq without Penny=No trip to the finals.

Do no harm!!

by Brutalfacts on Mar 5, 2009 11:09 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

You can really say that about any player who has ever won a ring though

Show me one player who won a ring by himself and although Jordan MAY have been able to do it, he always had quite the supporting cast.

Recent winners:

KG with no Pierce, Allen = No Ring
Tim Duncan or Tony Parker without the other = No Ring
Wade without Shaq = No Ring
Kobe without Shaq = No Ring

You can really make that argument with any NBA championship team.

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"Shoot first, ask questions last" Rafer Alston

by DieSlowKeyshawn on Mar 5, 2009 11:52 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I'm a moron

didn’t Duncan win his first without Tony P?

Ok, well, he had David.

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"Shoot first, ask questions last" Rafer Alston

by DieSlowKeyshawn on Mar 5, 2009 12:02 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

And don't forget.....

……Avery Johnson

The point of the Shaq/insert player here thing is Shaq had to have a lights out second banana to be successful. I realize this is common however I point to the following examples…

Hakeem-Nice supporting cast for sure but no real superstars.

2004 Pistons-All took turns being first/second/third bananas. A team.

LeBron-Took his team to the finals with really small bananas around him (‘cept Z who isn’t small but I was speaking figuratively).

I can talk about others but you get the point.

Do no harm!!

by Brutalfacts on Mar 5, 2009 1:05 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I'll give you the pistons 04 team, they could have potentially won with one of their stars

Lebron (like Mike, is rare, we don’t see that type of player everyday that can pull a whole team, which was my initial point)

Point is, most players can’t win a ring without a supporting cast, it’s true in any sport. See KG’s career pre-Boston.

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"Shoot first, ask questions last" Rafer Alston

by DieSlowKeyshawn on Mar 5, 2009 1:22 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

without*

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"Shoot first, ask questions last" Rafer Alston

by DieSlowKeyshawn on Mar 5, 2009 1:23 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

van Gundy's going into bat for Dwight

Or so says Yahoo! Sports.

by eltharion_doa on Mar 5, 2009 2:02 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

The Big Floppopotamus

I was actually beginning to respect him again but now he’s just a washed-up fat goon who is grasping at the fading straws of his career and he can’t accept the inevitable.

Also, after seeing him literally crawl inside Kobe’s rectum at the ASW and get to work cleaning the place up, this just makes it even sweeter that he’s reduced to begging.

Still, Stan is going to be the one still going come June time, while The Big Chump is crying in the desert.

by big aaron on Mar 5, 2009 2:14 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

SVG knows what he's doing

Shaq is experienced enough to know how to use the media to his advantage. Dwight hasn’t figured it out yet, so there was no way he was going win that battle. Stan, who is a master at using the media to get to certain people (Dwight, couch cough), went out of his way to take the heat off his young center. I’m guessing Stan could care less what Shaq has to say.

by magic fanatic on Mar 6, 2009 11:15 AM EST reply actions 0 recs