OT: As Howard grows in stature, Shaq shrinks

??? ??????

New member
Joined:
Apr 2, 2009
Posts:
2,435
Liked Posts:
4
Location:
Columbia, MO
LOS ANGELES – The greatness of Shaquille O’Neal(notes) demands that his name, his legacy, never drifts far from an NBA Finals. Even when he’s long out of the league, that’ll still be true. For the immortals, the lifetime benefits include the exhaustive examination of the next generation’s stars to your standards.

How does Tom Brady measure to Joe Montana?

Kobe Bryant(notes) to Michael Jordan?

And, yes, Dwight Howard(notes) to Shaq.

Mostly, here’s how a burgeoning talent is born: A gifted young star emulates his idol and eventually becomes his peer.

So why does Shaq get such glee out of belittling and ridiculing those centers who came before and after him?

“Sometimes I wonder about his maturity,” Kareem Abdul-Jabbar told Yahoo! Sports on Friday. “He doesn’t need to do that. He’s achieved so much.

“I don’t know why he stoops to that.”

Abdul-Jabbar doesn’t need Shaq’s approval, but Howard is 23 years old and Shaq owes it to the league, to common decency, to be civil with this kid. His treatment of Howard has been kind of sad, especially considering that Howard grew up wanting to be him.

Howard marveled at Shaq’s strength and roared at his comedy and tried to emulate him in every way. They were drafted into the NBA as the No. 1 overall pick to the Orlando Magic and turned losers into NBA finalists. Howard always seemed to crave Shaq’s counsel, his respect, but Howard long has been the target of humiliating insults.

In the past year alone, Shaq called Howard an “impostor” and insisted that, “Everything he’s done, I’ve invented,” and on and on. On opening night of the NBA Finals, Shaq posted a goofy photo on Twitter of what a Dwight Howard and Stan Van Gundy child would look like. After five years of this, Howard still doesn’t get the reason that Shaq revels in ripping him.

“I can’t tell you why he’s said a lot of discouraging things,” Howard said Friday at the Staples Center. “I wish he wouldn’t say it because he’s one of the few guys that we all look up to.”

For most, O’Neal’s motives are transparent. Somehow, Shaq thinks it diminishes his own legacy if Howard achieves something significant sooner than he did.

“That’s why Shaq wants [Howard] to get swept in the Finals,” a league source close with Howard and O’Neal said Friday. “He doesn’t want Dwight to win a game because he didn’t win a game in the Finals when he got there at a young age with Orlando.”

It’s funny, but Jordan never takes offense that Bryant and LeBron James(notes) and Dwyane Wade(notes) emulate him. To Michael, it was an honor. He embraces it. He always believed that was his responsibility to pass wisdom and encouragement to the next generation’s icons. Julius Erving did it for him. And Michael does it for them.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_y...?slug=aw-shaqhoward060509&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
 

dougthonus

New member
Joined:
Mar 13, 2009
Posts:
2,665
Liked Posts:
9
Nothing surprising there really. Shaq's a funny character, if you like mean funny. Which, of course, I do at times such as when he's picking on Eric Dampier. However, it kind of just becomes pathetic rather than funny when he tries to pick on Dwight Howard.
 

??? ??????

New member
Joined:
Apr 2, 2009
Posts:
2,435
Liked Posts:
4
Location:
Columbia, MO
There's also more in the link of him making fun of Kareem. (and then the writer mentioning how Kareem was able to average 22 and 8 on a championship team).
 

TheStig

New member
Joined:
Apr 5, 2009
Posts:
3,636
Liked Posts:
38
Shaq's quite a interesting character but he really should stop this because he really can't back it up on the court like he used too.
 

Diddy1122

I ain't your pal dickface
Joined:
Mar 30, 2009
Posts:
4,459
Liked Posts:
1,155
Location:
Chicago
Just Shaq being Shaq. Never really liked all the publicity stunts he pulls, but he does have some pretty funny remarks sometimes. However he often sticks his size 23s in his mouth, and I think he's done that with Howard. Howard is probably the most humble superstar you will ever meet. He goes to church every Sunday. It's not in his character to trade barbs with anyone thru the media. This is just poor character on display by Shaq right now.
 

houheffna

Ignoring Idiots
Joined:
May 6, 2009
Posts:
8,673
Liked Posts:
2,711
I am really tired of Shaq and someone should let him know to grow his big ass up before he gets old and set in his ways.

Russell does crap like that to younger players, Wilt did it to Jordan. You know why? Because no one has the balls to tell Bill Russell that he is overrated and if he were to play today, he would be Jermaine O'Neal without the post game....if that. I hope Jordan does not start sniping at younger players like Russell did Rodman or Wilt did Jordan. Its sad, pathetic and makes winners look like losers.

Dwight Howard is the dominant center in the league right now. Shaq didn't play in a time when the center position had some depth, if he had, he might show some humility.
 

Diddy1122

I ain't your pal dickface
Joined:
Mar 30, 2009
Posts:
4,459
Liked Posts:
1,155
Location:
Chicago
houheffna wrote:
I am really tired of Shaq and someone should let him know to grow his big ass up before he gets old and set in his ways.

Russell does crap like that to younger players, Wilt did it to Jordan. You know why? Because no one has the balls to tell Bill Russell that he is overrated and if he were to play today, he would be Jermaine O'Neal without the post game....if that. I hope Jordan does not start sniping at younger players like Russell did Rodman or Wilt did Jordan. Its sad, pathetic and makes winners look like losers.

Dwight Howard is the dominant center in the league right now. Shaq didn't play in a time when the center position had some depth, if he had, he might show some humility.

So Russell slammed Rodman, who cares? Everyone slammed Rodman. Rodman was a friggin joke. He could rebound like crazy but he was certainly nobody that young kids should be looking up to or trying to emulate. And seriously Jermaine O'Neal? When I think of defense in the post I don't think of Jermaine O'Neal. And Russell would be better than O'Neal anyway. True people of that era did not have the same level of competition, rules, 3pt line, things like that, and it shows in their inflated stats. But they truly dominated their eras, they were men among boys, so a certain level of respect is due.

And Dwight is nowhere near Shaq, let's get that straight. Shaq could not be stopped at all when he was Dwight's age. But he stilled played against Hakeem, one of the top 5 centers all-time, not to mention Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning, & David Robinson. Now compare that to Yao Ming, Amare Stoudemire, Al Jefferson, and Pau Gasol. I'd say that Shaq's got Howard their too. I think Dwight is already a better rebounder and defender than Shaq ever was, but he is nowhere near the dominant force on the offensive end like Shaq was and probably never will be. Dwight does not have the post moves that Shaq had, not to say he can't learn them, but at this point he prefers to face up in the post as opposed to posting up & LA certainly used that to limit him to only 1 made FG in game 1 of the Finals.
 

houheffna

Ignoring Idiots
Joined:
May 6, 2009
Posts:
8,673
Liked Posts:
2,711
Rodman was a great rebounder, Russell said Rodman couldn't rebound on his level...wrong. Who did Russell have post defend? Wilt, who destroyed him, and Johnny Kerr, can you name a great center besides Wilt in the Russell era? You are right, he wouldn't be Jermaine O'Neal, He was 6'9" and about 220. That's a small forward. Conversely, put Scottie Pippen in the 60's and he averages a triple double over many seasons, maybe a career.

So let me get this right, Shaq can talk crap about Dwight because he was better, the point was that it is babyish and low-class. Notice that Kareem never did those things, you let your resume speak for itself. That is like Jordan taking shots at different players, after a while, he would come off as just being bitter. The position has not had the depth that it had in the past, even Shaq admitted that. He didn't have any competition in his prime. Olajuwon was already in his thirties when he played O'Neal in the finals and Robinson is only 2 years younger than Olajuwon.
 

Newskoolbulls

New member
Joined:
Mar 28, 2009
Posts:
2,897
Liked Posts:
6
Location:
Bullspodcasters>Any other bulls board
Dwight will never be Shaq, he doesnt have the dominance and the will that Shaq had.
 

houheffna

Ignoring Idiots
Joined:
May 6, 2009
Posts:
8,673
Liked Posts:
2,711
I think its premature to say what Howard will never be. He is very young. Plus, I believe he has shown levels of dominance and will in the past. He will be fine.
 

Newskoolbulls

New member
Joined:
Mar 28, 2009
Posts:
2,897
Liked Posts:
6
Location:
Bullspodcasters>Any other bulls board
Shaq in his prime was on another level.
 

Diddy1122

I ain't your pal dickface
Joined:
Mar 30, 2009
Posts:
4,459
Liked Posts:
1,155
Location:
Chicago
houheffna wrote:
Rodman was a great rebounder, Russell said Rodman couldn't rebound on his level...wrong. Who did Russell have post defend? Wilt, who destroyed him, and Johnny Kerr, can you name a great center besides Wilt in the Russell era? You are right, he wouldn't be Jermaine O'Neal, He was 6'9" and about 220. That's a small forward. Conversely, put Scottie Pippen in the 60's and he averages a triple double over many seasons, maybe a career.

So let me get this right, Shaq can talk crap about Dwight because he was better, the point was that it is babyish and low-class. Notice that Kareem never did those things, you let your resume speak for itself. That is like Jordan taking shots at different players, after a while, he would come off as just being bitter. The position has not had the depth that it had in the past, even Shaq admitted that. He didn't have any competition in his prime. Olajuwon was already in his thirties when he played O'Neal in the finals and Robinson is only 2 years younger than Olajuwon.

Hakeem averaged 33ppg, 10.5rpg, & 3bpg in the entire 94-95 postseason. Not to mention he completely owned Shaq & the Magic in the Finals & they got swept. People are comparing Howard to Shaq at this stage in his career, which is ridiculous, and which is what I was commenting on. At this stage in Shaq's career he was playing against much better competition at the Center position & was still dominating. It's blatantly obvious. I agree that in Shaq's championship years, there was really only Tim Duncan, who alot of the time did not even match up defensively against him, but people comparing Howard to Shaq at this point in their careers are completely bonkers. Other than Yao, who's not a physical post player, there's no competition for Howard either.

And I'm not saying Shaq has the right to talk crap. I never said that. But I can understand him being semi-offended when people constantly compare Howard to him. Doesn't give him the right to be a royal douche about it but Shaq's always been that way & I don't really see him changing. I don't really care that much to be honest.
 

houheffna

Ignoring Idiots
Joined:
May 6, 2009
Posts:
8,673
Liked Posts:
2,711
I feel that Shaq is acting out unnecessarily. Dwight Howard did not make those comparisons nor did he slight Shaq in any way. All he has done is show Shaq respect. Shaq should reciprocate.

Speaking of which, Wilt used to do this to Kareem, anybody have a copy of Kareem's "Open Letter to Wilt ChumperLame"? I read it when I was 14 years old I believe. It kind of reminds me of this situation.
 

Top