Shaquille O’Neal seems unhappy with his current situation. How many times has that sentence been uttered over the last seventeen NBA seasons? The answer is, at least once in every city Shaq has played in.
The Big Bridge Burner has used a scorched earth policy on his way out of every organization he has played in. No one is safe. Not fans, not coaches, not owners and not even the city itself. When the going got tough, Shaq did everything he could to get going.
Caption: History proves Shaq shows right finger, wrong gesture to Suns fans
In Orlando, he butted heads with the coaching staff, ripped on former teammate Penny Hardaway and referred to the city of Orlando as “a dried up little pond”. In Los Angeles, Shaq ripped on Kobe, the organization’s philosophy and the owner Jerry Buss for not being honest with him or signing him to an extension. In Miami, things were great….for a few seasons. That was until Shaq decided that being asked to play with teammates like Chris Quinn and Ricky Davis was beneath him.
It seems a forgone conclusion that Shaq with eventually implement his tactic with the Suns. This season will mark only the second time in his career he hasn’t made the playoffs (the first being his rookie season). He has seemed upset at various different times with the style of play, his teammates and the situation in general. Overall though he has kept his cool and hasn’t really made it abundantly clear if he is upset. That is until now.
“There are two types of business owners,” explained Shaq. “Do you want to win or do you want to save money? Period. Do you want to win or do you want to save money? (Mark Cuban) spends money. I don’t think he wants to save money. I’ve been around 17 years and that’s what it is. You either want to win and don’t really care about the salary cap, or you want to be under the salary cap. At the end of the season, I’m sure everybody will be prepared for whatever happens.” O’Neal told HoopsWorld.com
Is this the first shot in what will turn into an all out firestorm of words from O’Neal? Is it the first step he is taking in hopes of leaving Phoenix? It sure seems that way, even though is assertions aren’t correct.
There is a common misconception that Robert Sarver is cheap. Does an owner that “wants to save money”, as Shaq claims, have a pay roll that ranks 6th highest in the NBA? Does he spend $20 million on a center who, upon his arrival in Phoenix, was viewed as past his prime and wasn’t contributing at a high level? Is it the calling card of an owner more concerned about saving money than winning to have a roster comprised of Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire, Grant Hill, Jason Richardson and Shaquille O’Neal? Does an owner who wants to save money not pull the trigger on any deals at the deadline causing him to have to pay the luxury tax?
The most laughable assertion makes is the fact that Mark Cuban’s free spending qualifies him as a better businessman and NBA owner. At last check of the standings, Cuban’s return on investment is about the same as Sarver’s, win-wise at least, and he spent over $15 million more in salary than Sarver.
Like every NBA city O’Neal has called home, Phoenix is growing tired of his act and like every other stop in his career, O’Neal seems to be growing tired of Phoenix. O’Neal is willing to make claims, true or not, to make sure his current team gets rid of him. For the team getting rid of O’Neal and his contract are a daunting task, but putting up with his exit strategy is even tougher.
The Suns front office and fans should brace themselves for an unpleasant divorce because if this is the first step, there will be many more comments to follow. Get your phone warmed up Mr. Kerr, it looks like you are about to embark on a busy and uncomfortable offseason.
