Raja Bell on Shaq and the "Kobe signal"

[GeorgeMarcus]

Like Lakers fans have been saying, I don't think there is any live beef between Shaq and Kobe. That said I thought this was funny:

https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-raja-bell-reveals-shaquille-oneal-used-secret-signal-with-l-a-teammates-to-stop-passing-to-kobe-bryant/?utm_source=mj&utm_medium=fb&utm_campaign=social&fbclid=IwAR27AM11SKDrYAuulF5g8m0oSasy-C1cR0HMQ47aXREeLXMB8R8dgybJtg4

“Shaq told me a story. We had a kid named Gordon Giricek on our Suns team, he had gotten there, and Gordon would go in the game, and Gordon was about his buckets,” Bell said, via CBS Sports. “So Gordon would get in, and no matter what we were doing, no matter what the flow or the chemistry was, Gordon would be just, you know, shooting the ball. Gordon was my guy, I played with him in Utah."

“But Shaq started saying ‘hey guys, this is the symbol’ (twitches thumbs downward) ‘when I give you this, Gordon doesn’t get the ball anymore.’ And I’m like ‘dude what is the background on that, where’d you come up with that?’ And he was like ‘when Kobe was young, he would be going in and just trying to get ’em, so the rest of us had a universal kind of code that if we looked at each other and went (gives signal) then that meant Kobe didn’t get the ball anymore.’ "

I also enjoyed the Gordan Giricek name drop. A true blast from the past.

[Sofia]

GORDON GIRICEK

[homecourtloss]

We had a kid named Gordon Giricek on our Suns team.

Sounds weird reading “a kid named Giricek” as if he’s a complete unknown whom nobody has heard of, but then again, I suppose RealGM isn’t the rest of the world.

[zimpy27]

That was great

[GeorgeMarcus]

We had a kid named Gordon Giricek on our Suns team.

Sounds weird reading “a kid named Giricek” as if he’s a complete unknown whom nobody has heard of, but then again, RealGM isn’t the rest of the world.

Lol I thought the same thing, and got a little defensive on Gordon's behalf

[lakerz12]

[mixerball]

its Gordan, but ok.

[GeorgeMarcus]

its Gordan, but ok.

Yeesh, I just assumed it was spelled right in the article My apologies to Gordin

[Mylie10]

I've always been on #TeamShaq when it comes to those two.

[GYK]

Shaq was committed enough because he was uber talented.
Kobe was too much Brett Farve.

[Sofia]

its Gordan, but ok.

Sorry Mrs Giricek

[Silverballer]

I remember this one time back in 2005 when Gordan Giricek was with the Utah Jazz and they play the Lakers one night. So Giricek was guarding Kobe and was able to stay in front of Kobe this one play. Kobe pump fakes like two times and Giricek doesn’t fall for it. Kobe pump fakes a third time and Gordan is high up on the air then Kobe of course initiates contact and makes an and one jumpshot. It’s so much more hilarious to watch than my plain description but I haven’t been able to find a clip of that play..

[lonzo_pelota]

it was the same symbol for the hack-a-shaq used by coaches

[GeorgeMarcus]

it was the same symbol for the hack-a-shaq used by coaches

Just by chance or did they coordinate?

[rockmanslim]

its Gordan, but ok.

Yeesh, I just assumed it was spelled right in the article My apologies to Gordin

Not surprised a site like "clutchpoints" doesn't even know how to spell his name (is that site, along with Fansided, one of the places where all the wannabe writers fled when bleacherreport turned legitimate? seems like it), but even CBS sports got it wrong:

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/raja-bell-shaquille-oneal-had-a-secret-code-with-lakers-teammates-to-stop-passing-kobe-bryant-the-ball/

You're better than this, CBS, c'mon man. It's even pronounced with an ahh sound Gordaaaaahhn Giricek. Gordaaaaahn Giricek. Gorlaaaaaaami. Gorlaaaaaami. You call yourselves basketball writers?

[Rich Michmond]

There's a better story with Shaq and Giricek out there:
https://eu.azcentral.com/story/sports/heat-index/2018/01/18/shaq-gordan-giricek-steve-nash-chokehold-phoenix-suns-story-z/1044271001/

"Hill redacted a main character from his other story, sharing only that O’Neal put a sleeper hold on a teammate. It was no exaggeration.

"The Heat Index filled the gaps in his anecdote. It was April 2008. Imagine the Suns environment after a crushing Game 1 loss at San Antonio when Tim Duncan made a game-tying overtime 3-pointer to spur his team to victory.

"There was an awkward discomfort about the off days in San Antonio and a sense that an ashen Mike D’Antoni was coaching the team for a final time.

"Who knew just how much he was handling?

"It turns out O’Neal and Gordan Giricek, who had been with the Suns for all of six weeks, mixed it up verbally during a closed practice to the point that O’Neal auditioned for his WWE future. He put Giricek in a sleeper hold, except it was no fake. Giricek passed out.

"Giricek played the remainder of the season, but it was his last NBA season."

[mixerball]

its Gordan, but ok.

Yeesh, I just assumed it was spelled right in the article My apologies to Gordin

i said its okay. no worries GourgeMurces.

its Gordan, but ok.

Sorry Mrs Giricek

his wifes name is sofia so hmmm.

but srsly, i dont think his wife (natasa) would have anything positive to say about him as they had a very ugly divorce

[dautjazz]

its Gordan, but ok.

Yeesh, I just assumed it was spelled right in the article My apologies to Gordin

i said its okay. no worries GourgeMurces.

its Gordan, but ok.

Sorry Mrs Giricek

his wifes name is sofia so hmmm.

but srsly, i dont think his wife (natasa) would have anything positive to say about him as they had a very ugly divorce

I guess Gordan was shooting his load around even though she gave him the thumbs down

[Mamba Mentality]

Raja and Kobe weren't exactly best friends, and Shaq has a history of fabricating stories, why does this not seem believable...