HE may not have started the All-Star game in Los Angeles on Sunday but by the time it finished, everyone knew Shaquille O Neal was the number one man. His 24 points and 11 rebounds in 24 minutes secured him the Most Valuable Player award and lifted the Western Conference to a 136-132 victory over the Eastern Conference.
"I m not really one to take over an All-Star Game," said O Neal.
"This is a couple days you get to spend with the best players in the league, so I just wanted to come out and have a good time," the 31-year-old added.
This was O Neal as he could be and should be: the showman, the focal point, the ringleader. This was more like the man who won over the NBA and Los Angeles, not the man who lost fans as he gained weight.
We want Shaq
The spectators packing the stands around the court at the NBA jam session begged him to sign autographs, chanting, "We want Shaq."
And when the Western Conference All-Stars tried some practice shots, O Neal kept grabbing basketballs from his teammates and throwing them at the hoop in a series of exaggerated, intentionally awkward attempts. He kept shooting and missing, and everyone kept laughing.
It was just like the good times when O Neal led the Lakers to three straight NBA titles between 2000 and 2003.
Surely no athlete who gave the sport so much has then lost favour with the fans so quickly?
Rather than attracting praise, this season O Neal has been called "lazy", "overpriced", "sullen" and a "hypocrite."
The concern that his weight and poor conditioning will lead to even more injuries has even led to calls for the Lakers to trade him.
But the truth is, as long as O Neal is on the roster, his team will remain in the running for the championship.
When asked to name which four players he d most like on his team, New Orleans Hornet guard Baron Davis first choice was O Neal.
"Shaq is the bomb," he said. "He is probably the best, most dominating centre who has ever played."
Premier player
San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan admits that O Neal is the primary concern of every opponent the Lakers face.
"Your emphasis is always on Shaq," he said.
"Shaq is the premier player in the league. He s the be-all and end-all. They can play well with two or three of the guys there, and one of them s got to be Shaq."
A quick look at the Lakers results for the season seems to confirm this. Without O Neal, they are 7-8, as opposed to 24-11 when he s in the lineup.
In the spotlight
O Neal wants to be in the spotlight but he often finds trouble there. Most recently he was suspended for abusing NBA officials in a live television interview.
No one can stay at the top forever and with Yao Ming waiting to take his crown, perhaps O Neal should be more wise with the time he has left.
The fans voted Yao into the All-Star starting lineup ahead of O Neal and he responded well with 16 points and 4 rebounds in 19 minutes.
O Neal already has three championships but he says he wants to get to six, which would give him one more than Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. |
