Does Shaq deserve a statue?

[So Gutta]

wtf! the poll results are outrageous. He was the championship MVP during the dynasty(00',01',02') and was the most dominant force ever during that time and played in LA nost of his career and your telling me he doesn't deserve a statue? Blasphemy! Must be a bunch of teens on this board who never saw him play.

You're wrong. We all saw him play. We all know how he demanded a trade after they lost in 04. We all remember him telling Buss "You gonna pay me now". We all remember him leaving on bad terms. He only got those Finals MVP's because the competition was so weak at the Center position in the Finals.

Yes, Shaq was a phenomenal player, but Kobe will get a statue years and years before the Lakers even consider giving Shaq one.

[bigsby1]

wtf! the poll results are outrageous. He was the championship MVP during the dynasty(00',01',02') and was the most dominant force ever during that time and played in LA nost of his career and your telling me he doesn't deserve a statue? Blasphemy! Must be a bunch of teens on this board who never saw him play.

You're wrong. We all saw him play. We all know how he demanded a trade after they lost in 04. We all remember him telling Buss "You gonna pay me now". We all remember him leaving on bad terms. He only got those Finals MVP's because the competition was so weak at the Center position in the Finals.

Yes, Shaq was a phenomenal player, but Kobe will get a statue years and years before the Lakers even consider giving Shaq one.

And Kobe didn't demand a trade after they ever lost? If I remember correctly he demanded a trade twice and we even heard it straight from the horses mouth in the Stephen A. Smith interview. Kobe was "uncoachable" according the Phil Jackson so that is part of the reason Shaq left on bad terms because of their fued. Yes the competition will be weak at center when you have a top 5 center in the history of the game. And what does Kobe have to do with Shaq deserving a statue or not. Absolutely nothing.

[Pablo Escobar]

Point is Kobe will get 1 and Shaq won't.

[Shamizy]

And Kobe didn't demand a trade after they ever lost? If I remember correctly he demanded a trade twice and we even heard it straight from the horses mouth in the Stephen A. Smith interview. Kobe was "uncoachable" according the Phil Jackson so that is part of the reason Shaq left on bad terms because of their fued. Yes the competition will be weak at center when you have a top 5 center in the history of the game. And what does Kobe have to do with Shaq deserving a statue or not. Absolutely nothing.

John Ireland who has covered the Lakers since Kobe had come to the team broke it down nicely over the last week on his radio show.

He said that the biggest problem with Kobe and Shaq was their completely different mindsets in regards to what they should have done after they were eliminated by San Antonio in 2003. Kobe wanted the team to work their asses off in the offseason and get better, pleading with Shaq to work extra hard in the offseason. Shaq on the other hand wanted them to chill, do the same thing they had done the last 3 years. Trying to reassure him by saying that they'll be back. Kobe thought the team had to improve in order to get back to form, while Shaq thought they'd be alright and it was just a hiccup.

Butting heads over this led to Kobe telling the front office to either get Shaq in line and get him to work, or to choose between the two of them.

As far as dominance, Shaq was a dominant force in the league at that time, but to point out his Finals MVPs isn't the best way to make a case for him. Considering he went up against some scrub big men in those series (save for Mutombo in '01), it's natural he'd dominate the competition.

Fact is, the way Shaq left the organization and all the shots he took at the team won't be forgotten. He'll get his jersey retired, but no way in hell he gets a statue. He simply doesn't deserve it.

[dub81]

And Kobe didn't demand a trade after they ever lost? If I remember correctly he demanded a trade twice and we even heard it straight from the horses mouth in the Stephen A. Smith interview. Kobe was "uncoachable" according the Phil Jackson so that is part of the reason Shaq left on bad terms because of their fued. Yes the competition will be weak at center when you have a top 5 center in the history of the game. And what does Kobe have to do with Shaq deserving a statue or not. Absolutely nothing.

John Ireland who has covered the Lakers since Kobe had come to the team broke it down nicely over the last week on his radio show.

He said that the biggest problem with Kobe and Shaq was their completely different mindsets in regards to what they should have done after they were eliminated by San Antonio in 2003. Kobe wanted the team to work their asses off in the offseason and get better, pleading with Shaq to work extra hard in the offseason. Shaq on the other hand wanted them to chill, do the same thing they had done the last 3 years. Trying to reassure him by saying that they'll be back. Kobe thought the team had to improve in order to get back to form, while Shaq thought they'd be alright and it was just a hiccup.

Butting heads over this led to Kobe telling the front office to either get Shaq in line and get him to work, or to choose between the two of them.

As far as dominance, Shaq was a dominant force in the league at that time, but to point out his Finals MVPs isn't the best way to make a case for him. Considering he went up against some scrub big men in those series (save for Mutombo in '01), it's natural he'd dominate the competition.

Fact is, the way Shaq left the organization and all the shots he took at the team won't be forgotten. He'll get his jersey retired, but no way in hell he gets a statue. He simply doesn't deserve it.

You are really sounding like a bias fan. Please read Phil Jackson's book and what other players were saying around that time about Kobe. At the time both players were immature and selfish. But to say that Shaq went up against just scrub bigs is crazy. Look at his stats while he was in Orlando when most of the bigs were still in there prime and Shaq was not in his prime yet. He was still dominant.

[So Gutta]

You are really sounding like a bias fan. Please read Phil Jackson's book and what other players were saying around that time about Kobe. At the time both players were immature and selfish. But to say that Shaq went up against just scrub bigs is crazy. Look at his stats while he was in Orlando when most of the bigs were still in there prime and Shaq was not in his prime yet. He was still dominant.

We were referring to the scrub Centers the Lakers played in the Finals that allowed Shaq to win 3 Finals MVP's. This you cannot deny. Shaq often gets praise, but the truth was that the West was far more difficult than any of those Eastern Conference teams.

[Shamizy]

You are really sounding like a bias fan. Please read Phil Jackson's book and what other players were saying around that time about Kobe. At the time both players were immature and selfish. But to say that Shaq went up against just scrub bigs is crazy. Look at his stats while he was in Orlando when most of the bigs were still in there prime and Shaq was not in his prime yet. He was still dominant.

I said in those series, referring to the Finals from '00-'02. Name me one elite big man he faced in the Finals. Rik Smits? Dale Davis? Todd MacCulloch? Jason Collins? Aaron Williams? Aside from Mutombo, he went up against scrub big man in each of those Finals series. That's a fact.

Kobe's immaturity can be explained, he was still very young and hotheaded. Rapidly becoming one of the league's best players, it makes sense that it would get to his head. Shaq though? He was already pushing 30. If he had deferred to Kobe like he did for Wade in Miami, we would have gotten quite a few more titles out of that tandem. I'll never understand why he didn't just go along with it if that's EXACTLY what he did in Miami two seasons later. He was just trying to prove a point, and it worked for years with Kobe painted as the villain. Until he pulled the same stunt in Miami. And then wore out his welcome in Phoenix.