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Shaq Interview (Talks About the Suns)

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Shaq Interview (Talks About the Suns) 

Post#1 » by The Diesel » Sat Aug 15, 2009 1:10 pm

Hey guys,

Shaq did an interview with the Sporting News and talks about the Suns a little bit in the interview. Here it is:

Q: Your life has changed the last six months. New team, new reality TV show -- it's certainly been a whirlwind for you.
A: Yeah, I was traded. My hat goes off to the Phoenix Suns organization. (General manager) Steve Kerr was very honest about the situation. I appreciate it. A lot of times teams don't tell you at all. You either hear it in the media or you read it.

But the Phoenix Suns organization has been a great organization, and in these tough times in our economy, business has to be handled. They wanted to take care of business and start all over. I understand that, appreciate that. But me being the business man that I am, I requested that they give me another shot at winning. So they sent me to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Q: You talk about the business side of things ... at what point in your career or in your life did you realize you wanted to be the guy in the limelight?
A: I don't really look at it as like I want to be in the limelight. I always tell people I'm a regular guy that has won the athletic lottery. So I don't really consider myself a superstar; I consider myself one of those lucky guys. Because let's face it, I've had three tremendous, excellent contracts in one lifetime.

But I don't sit there and say I want to do this, I want to do that. This (reality show) idea came across with me being like most male couch bravados -- as a guy, I can do anything, period. But as a superb athlete, I know I can really do it. …

I knew some friends in the TV production world, and we brought it to ABC, and they loved it. So basically it's me getting in the best shape of my career, cross-training and having a good time.

Q: Do you think this will give you a fond appreciation of what they go through once you compete in their event head-to-head?
A: A good thing about me is I'm a gracious host. What I mean by that is if I win, I ain't going to be rubbing it in their face. If I lose, I'm going to say, "You know what, you whupped me."

Yesterday, I had to give it up to the beach volleyball guys. I was doing some training with the Beijing Beast (Phil Dalhausser), and his vertical is like 50 in the sand. Mine looked like it was about 20. So I told him, "You know what, before we even turn the camera on, I got to apologize to you guys." Because on TV, you look at it, and OK, he's (6-9), he's throwing it down. I'm 7-1 … it's easy. But it ain't easy in that sand, brother.

Man, yesterday I was out there at 8, and was out there all day to 6. By the time I got in the car and got to the highway, which is two blocks, I was snoring. Done.

Q: A lot of people have said you already look in better shape than you have in the past couple of years. Do you feel that this is a little bit of a resurrection for your career?
A: You know a good thing about being with the great organization of the Phoenix Suns, (head athletic trainer) Aaron Nelson and (physical therapist) Mike Clark, who's also part of the show, they taught me a new way of how to train. You know, after I had the hip thing in Miami, they were telling me I was done. So I thought I was done. But these guys actually had me feeling younger. So now that I know that I can at least go about three more years, I'm going to really be serious.

You know for me to have the full complete circle career -- what I mean by that, when you draw a circle, if you don't go out the same way you come in, then the circle ain't complete. I want to go out like I came in.

Q: Do you have a nickname in Cleveland yet? The Big … fill in the blank for us.
A: The Big Witness Protection.


http://www.sportingnews.com/nba/article/2009-08-13/shaq-im-regular-guy-has-won-athletic-lottery

I'm shocked that he hasn't criticized anybody yet.

Thoughts on the interview?
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Re: Shaq Interview (Talks About the Suns) 

Post#2 » by MILFSTA » Sat Aug 15, 2009 1:43 pm

shaq will never diss the suns if he do it then might some player.
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Re: Shaq Interview (Talks About the Suns) 

Post#3 » by NashtyNas » Sat Aug 15, 2009 8:58 pm

People blow everything out of proportion. Shaq is not a bad guy because he speaks out his feelings, which in the end, have proven to be true. He only dissed and critized former coaches and teammates and management because they treated him like that. In LA, Phil and Kobe we're clearly not the best coach and team mates to him, even though his attitude didn't help. While Wade and Shaq were very close, Shaq didn't like the direction of the team, and Riley didn't want Shaq there, but neither was clear about it and Riley did things to piss him off. People bad mouth Shaq cause he says what he feels, but in reality, he only does it when he's been wronged. The Suns treated him like he wanted, and deserves, so he's not bad mouthing any Suns. Good. That's how it should and is going to be.
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Re: Shaq Interview (Talks About the Suns) 

Post#4 » by Orange_Blooded » Sat Aug 15, 2009 10:04 pm

Yeah he was on ESPN talking about the suns this morning, I was half asleep but seemed like he was overall happy with the time he had here.

Personally, I didn't like the marion-shaq trade when it went down at all, but it wasn't quite as bad as i though it was when it happened. Granted, things did not work out, but Marion had to go unfortunately and shaq did play well for the most part in PHX even though he wasn't right in our sytem. I'll look back at his time here fondly, not nearly as fondly as the matrix days though. Lets hope next year trumps em all.
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Re: Shaq Interview (Talks About the Suns) 

Post#5 » by Vernon Maxwell » Sat Aug 15, 2009 10:23 pm

MILFSTA wrote:shaq will never diss the suns if he do it then might some player.

wat
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Re: Shaq Interview (Talks About the Suns) 

Post#6 » by Orange_Blooded » Sat Aug 15, 2009 10:27 pm

Vernon Maxwell wrote:
MILFSTA wrote:shaq will never diss the suns if he do it then might some player.

wat



i think he was saying he may diss a player from the suns, but not the organization itself.
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Re: Shaq Interview (Talks About the Suns) 

Post#7 » by impulsenine » Sat Aug 15, 2009 10:29 pm

Vernon Maxwell wrote:
MILFSTA wrote:shaq will never diss the suns if he do it then might some player.

wat


:lol: :lol: :lol:

sd1306 wrote:People bad mouth Shaq cause he says what he feels, but in reality, he only does it when he feels he has been wronged.


Fixed. Small but important distinction. I feel the same way, otherwise. I retain my faith in the Suns organization for finding good people, even when they don't do well together as good players (cf. Signature).
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Re: Shaq Interview (Talks About the Suns) 

Post#8 » by Nando88 » Sat Aug 15, 2009 10:57 pm

i think shaq won't diss the suns... he owes alot to the suns organization... ESPECIALLY the training staff. i don't think shaq would have made the allstar team ever again if he stayed in miami and made allstar mvp
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Re: Shaq Interview (Talks About the Suns) 

Post#9 » by tsherkin » Sun Aug 16, 2009 1:15 am

Good read. It's true, the trainers did a number on Shaq and really helped him out, so it's good to see that he's giving the staff the nod they deserve.
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Re: Shaq Interview (Talks About the Suns) 

Post#10 » by The Diesel » Sun Aug 16, 2009 4:46 am

Shaq definitely should continue to do the classy thing towards the Suns by saying good things about them because the training staff saved his career and the Suns took a chance on him when everybody had given up on him.

He has also said that Kerr treated him better than any other GM he's ever been around and he pointed out that Kerr called him at the trading deadline to tell him about Portland's interest, but Shaq said he didn't want to go and the deal fell through.

He correctly pointed out that Kerr didn't have to do that and many other GM's would have just traded him and not cared about what Shaq thought about where he was going to be traded.

With that being said, the Heat were very kind to him by sending him to a contender and we all know some of the things Shaq said towards them after he was traded.

I am surprised Shaq turned down the deal to Portland because a team of Shaq/Roy/Aldridge would have been VERY good.

For those wondering, the Blazers were offering LaFrentz's big expiring contract.

I hope - as long as Shaq doesn't bad-mouth the team in the future - that Suns fans appreciate that Shaq worked EXTREMELY hard in Phoenix and did everything that was asked of him.

Unfortunately, it never worked out.
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Re: Shaq Interview (Talks About the Suns) 

Post#11 » by lilfishi22 » Sun Aug 16, 2009 8:02 am

tsherkin wrote:it's good to see that he's giving the staff the nod they deserve.


+1
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Re: Shaq Interview (Talks About the Suns) 

Post#12 » by The Diesel » Wed Aug 19, 2009 10:17 pm

The ESPN interview is up on their website on their NBA section.

He blamed his unsuccessful stay in Phoenix on bad luck.

In my opinion, it was a combination of bad luck and bad decisions that ruined his stay in Phoenix.

Bad decisions:

- Hiring Porter

- Running out D'Antoni

- Trading Diaw and Bell

Bad luck:

- Duncan's 3 pointer

- Hill's injury before the playoffs that year

- Amare's injury
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Re: Shaq Interview (Talks About the Suns) 

Post#13 » by The Diesel » Fri Aug 21, 2009 8:51 am

Here is a direct link to the interview which is now on YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pd4QS26Kyxg

I was shocked that he called his time in Phoenix "an excellent run" given how little success the team had when he was in Phoenix.
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Re: Shaq Interview (Talks About the Suns) 

Post#14 » by cmw17 » Fri Aug 21, 2009 9:11 am

Ok, now read these threads and you'll realize what a scumbag he really is :

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=938745

viewtopic.php?f=27&t=938726
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Re: Shaq Interview (Talks About the Suns) 

Post#15 » by jaypo » Fri Aug 21, 2009 9:04 pm

Yeah, what a scumbag. A father of 6 who spends his Christmas giving truckloads of toys to poor children. A scumbag that spends the offseason working with the police force to prosecute internet predators that are targeting kids like you. A scumbag that left college early to play in the NBA, but went back and got his degree because he promised his mother he would graduate from college. What a scumbag!

Meanwhile, the face of the NBA is an *****! You NBA "fans" crack me up!!

That term has no place on the Suns board. All it does is invite trolls.

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Re: Shaq Interview (Talks About the Suns) 

Post#16 » by MaryvalesFinest » Fri Aug 21, 2009 9:17 pm

jaypo wrote:Yeah, what a scumbag. A father of 6 who spends his Christmas giving truckloads of toys to poor children. A scumbag that spends the offseason working with the police force to prosecute internet predators that are targeting kids like you. A scumbag that left college early to play in the NBA, but went back and got his degree because he promised his mother he would graduate from college. What a scumbag!

Meanwhile, the face of the NBA is an **** You NBA "fans" crack me up!!


+1

Shaq does way more charity work than Nash also
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Re: Shaq Interview (Talks About the Suns) 

Post#17 » by jaypo » Fri Aug 21, 2009 9:46 pm

Sorry about that, TASTIC. It won't happen again. But ya'll get my point, right?
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Re: Shaq Interview (Talks About the Suns) 

Post#18 » by TASTIC » Fri Aug 21, 2009 9:51 pm

Yeah for sure, I'm in agreeance with you. I wasn't that much of a fan of Shaq before he came here - I respected him for his play and what he'd done. But I came to like him as a Sun, and I wish him no ill will along the way. He did everything we asked of him while he was here
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Re: Shaq Interview (Talks About the Suns) 

Post#19 » by LV-Suns » Fri Aug 21, 2009 10:02 pm

TASTIC wrote:Yeah for sure, I'm in agreeance with you. I wasn't that much of a fan of Shaq before he came here - I respected him for his play and what he'd done. But I came to like him as a Sun, and I wish him no ill will along the way. He did everything we asked of him while he was here

+1. Could not agree anymore.
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Re: Shaq Interview (Talks About the Suns) 

Post#20 » by jaypo » Fri Aug 21, 2009 10:11 pm

Hell, last year, after Amare went out, he was the only consistent Sun. He averaged the same #'s as Yao, and Yao was considered the 2nd best center in the league!

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