With Shaq’s struggles in this year’s Finals, it’s nice to be able to look back at some of the best quotes from one of the league’s most quotable players. Shaq is completely comfortable in front of a microphone, and his outgoing personality and dry sense of humor makes for interesting interviews. ESPN’s Marc Stein collected Shaq’s top 10 Finals quotes. Here are a couple of my favorites:
1. The setting: After Game 2 of the 2002 Finals against New Jersey
The situation: Shaq is so thoroughly dominant — rumbling for 40 points, 12 boards and eight assists against the Nets’ overmatched front line — that he even made 12 of 14 free throws, leading to a 23-point rout in the Lakers’ eventual sweep. The unexpected success at the line prompts Shaq to uncork a string of barbs at then-Sacramento coach Rick Adelman, who had complained during the Western Conference finals about O’Neal stepping over the line.
The Shaq Smack: “That game was dedicated to Rick Adelman. I’m at home, in the bathroom, trying to take a dump, flipping through the channels and he’s complaining (on TV) about how I’m stepping over the line. I can’t even do a No. 2 in peace. I’m sitting there grunting at 12:30 at night. Can I go one day without somebody saying something negative about me?”
4. The setting: After Game 3 of the 2000 Finals against Indiana
The situation: O’Neal misses 10 free throws in a nine-point Lakers loss and is asked why he can’t “conquer” his free-throw demons.
The Shaq Smack: “I think everything happens for a reason. With my game being the way it is, if I did shoot 80 percent, I’d be a harder person to deal with. It just keeps me humble. Just imagine me in my game shooting the same percentage that Reggie Miller shoots. I wouldn’t even talk to you guys because I wouldn’t have to.”
Although I’m not a huge fan of Shaq’s game, I’ve always liked him off the court. He’s got a bigger-than-life personality which has been a boon for the NBA over the last 14 years.
