Jan.24 at 10:02 am

Milan says:
It does seem a long time ago. And as long as the Heat have that huge contract of his on their books, they are stuck, it’s like a huge anchor dragging them down.

Jan.24 at 10:06 am

white hot eboy says:
Just for clarification, I said that he would retire willingly back in July at the end of this season, but of course, I don’t get paid for my knowledge.

Jan.24 at 10:12 am

d.Y. says:
Hilarious. The Miami media have as much loyalty as the GM. Shaq’s not retiring yet.

Jan.24 at 10:16 am

Cheryl says:
I can’t see him walking away from 40 million. A buy out as a compromise, now that I can see.

Jan.24 at 10:25 am

d.Y. says:
Miami can’t buy him out. Not for him to have a 22 and 10, 70 game year and a title with someone else for the veterans minimum. Don’t push the Big Chipondashoulda to do something great out of spite.

Jan.24 at 10:29 am

Jukai says:
22 and 10? 70 games? If Shaq can possibly do that, d.Y., then why doesn’t he do that for the Heat? Why doesn’t he throw out his contract and sign for the veterans minimum for the Heat? Even if he “can” do the seemingly impossible tasks you’ve put before him, it would STILL be beneficial for the Heat to buy him out. That’s 20 million a YEAR that they can spend on free agents, d.Y. Cause all those stats you mentioned? He ain’t doing it for the Heat.

Jan.24 at 10:30 am

maio says:
I don’t think Shaq has ever shown enough passion to do something out of spite on the floor. He might bring out a rap album and dis someone, though.

Jan.24 at 10:31 am

Dan says:
I think it all depends on how he plays for the remainder of the season. That is, he strikes me as the type to know when to hang up the sneakers. If he puts up halfway decent numbers over the next 41, then I could see him sticking around for a while longer.

Jan.24 at 10:33 am

Jukai says:
Dan, that makes no sense! That’s 20 million dollars! You can get three semi-decent role players who will put up greater than Shaq’s numbers (not hard) but that’s three guys spread out on the floor compared to one! So shouldn’t THAT be the knowledge that Shaq should see so he can hang up his sneaker?

Jan.24 at 10:33 am

Jukai says:
I feel like I’m going to be responding a lot in this thread.

Jan.24 at 10:37 am

Russ Bengtson says:
I’m surprised the Miami medis aren’t calling for his euthanasia.

Jan.24 at 10:38 am

Russ Bengtson says:
*media

Jan.24 at 10:38 am

Myles Brown says:
Shaq is about to get taken to the cleaners in his divorce. Hes gonna want all the money he can get. What he might want for a buyout might be more than its worth, cause doesnt that stay on the cap anyway?

Jan.24 at 10:40 am

white hot eboy says:
The youth in Asia tend to be uppity.

Jan.24 at 10:41 am

Cheryl says:
I thought they had a prenup, Max. Shaunie won’t get what Juanita got, not even close.

Jan.24 at 10:42 am

Myles Brown says:
What about all those kids?

Jan.24 at 10:42 am

Russ Bengtson says:
They could trade him to the Knicks for David Lee, Renaldo Balkman, Nate Robinson, Wilson Chandler, Randolph Morris, Mardy Collins, Jamal Crawford and Malik Rose. It works under the cap, I checked.

Jan.24 at 10:44 am

Dan says:
Hmmmm Jukai, let’s analyze the situation. Considering I don’t know what you mean by “shouldn’t THAT be the knowledge that Shaq should see so he can hang up his sneaker”, I will just go with it. It is Shaq’s decision as to whether he should retire or not, therefore the $40 million is his to gain or give up. Looking at the fact that he is not one of the Miami brass he does not give a sh!t as to whether or not the team could sign three other players for his salary. But, what I am saying is that he seems as though he is the type to know whether he has passed his expiry date or not. Therefore, he will retire if he feels as though he is ready. And it is the Heat’s fault for giving him the contract in the first place! Reap what you sew.

Jan.24 at 10:44 am

Jukai says:
I dunno, Cheryl. Last I heard, Shaunie throughout the marriage was signing things in her name instead of Shaqs, so she could walk away with a helluva lot more money than you think.

Jan.24 at 10:44 am

peteb80 says:
Those b*tches knew what they were getting in Shaq, they were mighty proud to have him and they used him to their benefit (ticket sales, jerseys, that fake a$$ championship etc.). This was all made possible by the contract extension they gave him. And now that it’s not working anymore it’s suddenly all his fault and he should walk away from the money (which made his stay in Miami possible in the first place)?

Jan.24 at 10:45 am

Cheryl says:
He’ll pay child support, gladly. But she certainly won’t get half. And it wouldn’t surprise me to hear about a reconciliation. Perhaps he should step away to work on that.

Jan.24 at 10:46 am

Russ Bengtson says:
How about Shaq to the Hawks for Josh Childress, Josh Smith, Marvin Williams, Zaza Pachulia, Al Horford and Lorenzen Wright? That works under the cap, too.

Jan.24 at 10:47 am

Jukai says:
Dan, Shaq’s sour milk. The guy leads the league in only one thing right now, body weight. He’s gotta go.

Jan.24 at 10:48 am

Cheryl says:
Dam, Russ. When you put it like that, his salary equals a whole starting five. It’s shocking to think of it like that. But we did get a great parade down Biscayne out of it, though.

Jan.24 at 10:49 am

Russ Bengtson says:
NO WAIT, I’VE GOT IT. Last proposal, honest. And it too works under the cap: Shaq to Portland for Greg Oden, Martell Webster, Travis Outlaw, LaMarcus Aldridge, Jarrett Jack, Channing Frye and Brandon Roy.

Jan.24 at 10:49 am

Jukai says:
Memphis may be a good trade. Shaq for Mike Miller, Rudy Gay, Hakim Warrick, Darko Milicic, Mike Conley and Kyle Lowry works out too.

Jan.24 at 10:51 am

white hot eboy says:
I’d rather have the six Hawks then the eight Knicks that Russ listed……translated: the Knicks still suck, too.

Jan.24 at 10:52 am

Myles Brown says:
That last one is hilarious considering that the two teams were on 13 game win and loss streaks respectively.

Jan.24 at 10:52 am

Dan says:
Well it’s his choice. If they buy him out he’s still on the books for 2 more seasons.

Jan.24 at 10:53 am

Russ Bengtson says:
That Portland deal could totally happen. I’m calling Henry Abbott.

Jan.24 at 10:54 am

Jukai says:
They can agree to buy him out for less than he’s worth, ie ten million a season. I’m sure Shaq will be crying about his financial loss in his 18 million dollar mansion.

Jan.24 at 10:54 am

Jukai says:
Alright guys, let’s talk about HAPPIER things. Who in the 2008 draft will benefit the Heat the most… you know, since they can practically choose anyone.

Jan.24 at 10:56 am

white hot eboy says:
And I’d rahter have Russ’s Blazers than Jukai’s Grizzlies. And you guys do realize you’re talking about a 36 year old player at the end of his career. It’s not like he is expected to be a 30 and 20 guy……actually there are none of those anywhere, so please shut the fu*k up. The Heat made the commitment, they won the only chnmpionship in the history of the franchise with the benefit of his presence and they are now in the downturn before rebuilding occurs. It was going to happen sooner or not too much later, so the quicker the better in my book. And pete, get over the fake a*s championship, it’s not flattering and makes you out to be bit*hy like a jilted lover.

Jan.24 at 11:00 am

Russ Bengtson says:
All I know is that Mitch Kupchak is a goddamn genius.

Jan.24 at 11:00 am

peteb80 says:
I’m sorry, I’ll have to bring it up as long as you’re proud of it.

Jan.24 at 11:02 am

Cheryl says:
Puhleeeeeze, Russ. If he was a “genius” Caron Butler would still be in L.A.

Jan.24 at 11:03 am

Russ Bengtson says:
Except for that.

Jan.24 at 11:06 am

BETCATS says:
who cares. Shaq will leave when Shaq wants.

Jan.24 at 11:06 am

white hot eboy says:
I think that move was enough to taint his legacy forever.

Jan.24 at 11:07 am

white hot eboy says:
See pete, still bitc*y. It’s allright, I understand. I’ll call you tomorrow. I promise.

Jan.24 at 11:08 am

Keith says:
Where do you guys find out what salaries players are on?

Jan.24 at 11:09 am

Dan says:
go to basketball-reference.com

Jan.24 at 11:11 am

Keith says:
ah, good skills…thanks Dan.

Jan.24 at 11:12 am

Dan says:
No problem, Keith.

Jan.24 at 11:20 am

BETCATS says:
I am calling for Shaq to get Cut Copied and Pasted to the CHA

Jan.24 at 11:21 am

Captain America says:
Forgetaboutit! Shaq daddy ain’t goin’ no wheres but will continue to collect $20m/yr in 2007/08, 2008/09, and 2009/10. Not bad for a gimpy old center, heh?

Jan.24 at 11:23 am

Captain America says:
Everybody either gets older or dies. The Celtics Big 3.2 will be like Shaq in a few years, getting paid major $$$ as their performance declines.

Jan.24 at 11:25 am

Captain America says:
BETCATS, don’t sink a flourishing CHA with an aging, gimpy center @ $20m/yr.

Jan.24 at 11:28 am

Dan says:
Good point, Captain. He would, in all actuality, make the ‘Cats worse.

Jan.24 at 11:46 am

Russ Bengtson says:
I was waiting for the good ol’ Captain America rant against the Celtics. Because, you know, all those guys are so similar to Shaq. If Shaq had a TENTH of KG’s dedication, none of this would even be an issue.

Jan.24 at 11:50 am

white hot eboy says:
Russ and his underdog love again, love that.

Jan.24 at 12:14 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
Oh, that’s right, Shaq always reported to camp in shape after spending the summer working on his weaknesses, my bad.

Jan.24 at 12:15 pm

Myles Brown says:
He actually did work on his weaknesses during the summer. Its not like he could make movies during the regular season…

Jan.24 at 12:20 pm

TADOne says:
Another rap album?

Jan.24 at 12:33 pm

white hot eboy says:
The one two punch from Bile and Hate. I like this. It feels like the summer. I love you guys.

Jan.24 at 12:42 pm

Paps says:
Let Shaq do whatever the f he wants. He’s earned it. F the media who think they have a nice little story to write about.

Jan.24 at 1:14 pm

Hassan says:
From what i’ve seen of Shaq this season he actually puts up quite nice numbers, when given enough playing time.
The problem with Miami is not Shaq but Riles, who, IMO, is tanking them on purpose.
Also, how often this season has DWade willed the Heat to victory? Compared to LeBron, who seems to do it on a nightly basis with the Cavs. Dwayne’s way overrated

Jan.24 at 1:15 pm

KobeStopper says:
Why’s everybody calling for his head? First of all he brought a championship to the city of Miami, which is pretty much invaluable. How many teams spent ridiculous amounts of money season after season but still don’t manage to win a thing? Secondly, this is the NBA we’re talking about. It’s not like players falling off and still getting paid is something new. How much is Theo Ratliff making this year? 2 seasons ago Dikembe Mutombo was making like $16 million a year to play 10 mins a game behind Yao (on basketball reference it shows that he only made $4 mil that year but I remember reading that season that the Rockets were somehow paying him salary that his old team owed him as a condition of a trade). Players being overpaid in the NBA is not a new phenomenon

Jan.24 at 1:31 pm

Captain America says:
Russ, with all due respect, age becomes us all. If KG determination was THE factor, the NBA would be filled with geriatric patents. Can you realistically argue that KG’s, PP’s, and Ray’s best individual performance years are ahead of them? Yet they will be under huge contracts (representative of their apex) for years to come.

Jan.24 at 2:10 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
Wait, the TNT games tonight are Spurs/Heat and Warriors/Nets? Seriously? Someone better take Chuck’s belt and shoelaces.
CA: Obviously they’ll decline at some point. But probably not as sharply as Shaq has.

Jan.24 at 2:18 pm

Jukai says:
Their contracts are going to expire before they get Shaq-bad, Captain America.

Jan.24 at 2:34 pm

Captain America says:
Given the reliance on the Big 3.2, diminishing returns vis-a-vis contract years, will deliver a serious blow. Imagine the Celtics with 10 points less per game. How many wins?

Jan.24 at 2:42 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
The Bulls had Jordan, Pippen and Rodman when they were all pretty old. Man, it killed them, didn’t it?

Jan.24 at 2:46 pm

Jukai says:
Captain America doesn’t seem to understand that players can play and excel past 29.

Jan.24 at 2:47 pm

Jukai says:
Also, you’re assuming there wont be players replacing the Big 3.2, Captain America. They may not be winning championship after championship if Ray Allen goes to another team, but I’m sure they’ll still be strong.

Jan.24 at 2:48 pm

Co Co says:
You guys are hilarious.

Jan.24 at 3:27 pm

lane says:
She will get half — even with a prenup — 1/2 /of everything he made since the day they got married and he signed that heat contract after that wedding didn’t he?

Jan.24 at 4:12 pm

ak47 says:
The last time Shaq was in top shape was 2000, the year he won his first championship and only MVP award. He hasn’t been in shape ever since. This was one of the things that caused friction between him and Kobe. Kobe would bust his ass in the off season while Shaq would sit on his ass and get fat. So why are we all surprised now?

Jan.24 at 4:16 pm

Timmyd says:
Damn, it amazes me how quick people are to jump off a bandwagon. One minute they love you, the next minute they are telling you when you need to retire. I like Shaq and if he feels that he has two more years in him, then so be it. While there are some up and coming big men in the game, they all have one thing in commen…they are all boring as hell. Shaq has always brought charisma that matches his larger then life presence….although it does seem like that due to stress in his personal and professional life that the charisma and “SHAQ-isms” has died down….how unfortunate. When he does retire he will certainly leave a huge void left to be filled.

Jan.24 at 4:28 pm

ak47 says:
Timmyd,
A lot of us weren’t on the Miami bandwagon. For the record, I’m a Pistons fan. So you know I hate the Heat! I like Shaq too but I hate his ethic and also hate the fact that he left LA and the feud with him and Kobe unscathed. Because we all liked him we failed to realize that he had his faults and that he contributed to the end of the dynasty and should share some of that blame too, not just Kobe,Mitch and Jerry Buss. That’s all I’m saying.

Jan.24 at 5:25 pm

Khalid Salaam says:
Hateful Miami fans and ungrateful media– Shut the F UP! Signed, Shaquille “I brought y’all punk asses from the bottom to the top” O’Neal

Jan.24 at 5:31 pm

Jukai says:
and now he’s bringing it from top to bottom! I guess we should call him the Big Full Circle.

Jan.24 at 5:45 pm

Khalid Salaam says:
no you should call him franchise savior. Man i’ve been lurking on this blog for about an hour before i posted. you guys are terrible fans. dude brought you a championship and made your team a big dog nationally. before shaq got there nobody gave a F about the Heat. now you act like ungrateful rich kids. you suck.

Jan.24 at 6:02 pm

James says:
Amen Khalid

Jan.24 at 6:58 pm

JONATHAN HELMICK says:
SHAQ SHOULD ONLY RETIRE IF AND WHEN THE HEAT GET A CENTER TO TAKE THE JOB. BECAUSE WITH MOURNING OUT THEY DONT REALLY HAVE MUCH DEPTH IN THE BIG MAN POSTION SO I WOULD TRY TO DRAFT A BIG GUY LIKE DORSEY OUT OF MEMPHIS….

Jan.24 at 8:12 pm

Reggie Evans says:
I don’t think Shaq should retire, he has a lot more in him. Signed, Evander Holyfield

Jan.24 at 10:14 pm

Kevin says:
sigh.

Jan.24 at 10:39 pm

Captain America says:
Guyz, all three of the Big 3.2 are off their career averages. KG is 31 and 12 years in the league (MJ started falling off his career average starting in his 12th year too). KG is under contract through 2011/12.

Jan.24 at 11:58 pm

Lamar says:
JUST GO BACK TO THE LAKERS and come off the bench behind Andrew Bynum. nvm. kobe.

Jan.25 at 1:53 am

Dutch Rich says:
Shaq to the coalmines for two boulders and a tophat with a flashlight works too.

Jan.25 at 1:53 am

Dutch Rich says:
Shaq to the coalmines for two boulders and a tophat with a flashlight works too.

Jan.25 at 2:01 am

Dutch Rich says:
twice as nice

Jan.25 at 11:51 pm

ak47 says:
Khalid,
Shaq did bring a championship to Miami and the fans of the Heat and the media should give him a little more respect. But Shaq should also give his fans a little more respect as well and get in shape every season!

Jan.30 at 1:59 pm

Codi Rog says:
Ak47 I agree with you. Shaq should get in shape. The rest of his teams has. 20 million a year and he can’t get a personal trainer. The sad thing is that his contract really holds his team back from improving in the next couple of seasons. Granted, the contract came with the reward of an NBA title, so both the deal and the trade that brought Shaq to Miami paid off. I’ll step out on a limb and say he about done. A hip injury for a man that size. Not a good thing.