Shaqwho?

Let me start this by saying that I still love Shaquille O'Neal and he will forever be one of my favorite players. I've been a big fan since he came into the NBA, celebrated our first Miami Heat Championship thanks to his leadership, and I do believe his presence helped Dwyane Wade become the leader he is today. 

Now, there are things about his behavior that I don't like. No need to become rivals with everyone who used to be your brother before. That is a sign of weakness and insecurity. He did it with Kobe and in less obvious way with Dwyane. And for what? He has nothing to prove. 

The sad part is that he Shaq factor seems to now be a liability instead of an asset. It's still very early in the season and he can still prove me and everyone else wrong, but Shaq did not have the positive impact the Cavaliers were expecting. In fact, it seems very similar to what happened in Phoenix last season. 

Shaq forces teams to change their style. Regardless of who else is on the team, and how involved he will be in both defense and offense, his presence on the floor makes team formations and strategy different. Pat Riley was able to build a team around him, and add Dwyane Wade to the mix. That is what made the team successful and win the Champsionship. Both Phoenix and Cleveland already had a team, and a style, and bringing Shaq into the mix somehow distorts that harmony. 

Cleveland knew they needed help, and so did Phoenix at the time. They fell short of winning the title after having impressive regular seasons. They needed a leader with a few rings on his fingers to help them make that last jump. Did it work for Phoenix? No. Will it work for Cleveland? I doubt it. 

The evidence is there early on. Cleveland had a disappointing start compared to last year. Phoenix had an amazing start compared to last year. Neither one had significant off-season moves other than acquiring and getting rid of Shaq. He is the factor that is making a difference for both teams, and if the trend continues then Shaq could probably be on his last season in the league. 

Why would he stay? If I'm not mistaken he will still have a year left on his current contract, but next season is all about LeBron. What happens if Shaq's on-the-court relationship with LeBron ends the same way as it did with Bryant, Wade and Nash? It will be a tough decision for him. And in the best case scenario, if he wins it all with Cleveland, that should also be a good reason to retire with all the glory. 

I have to say that retiring with glory is not the first thing that comes to mind when I think of Shaq. His ego is as big as his body. Switching teams every year looking for more rings is not going to make his legacy more significant, but it will make us remember him in a not so positive note. At least I still look at him as one of my favorite players of all time, and a guy who has a great personality and that everyone accepts and loves as he is because of that. It would be great to keep that feeling towards him forever. 

Shaq. vs. Boring

Shaq, I watched your show last night. As always, you are larger than life. You deserve having the TV show and I think you did a great job, but unfortunately the show itself is no good. The hour-long episode seemed like two hours. There was too much stuff in between jokes that was not fun, and the typical reality television editing was annoying.

You should do a different type of show. Here is the pitch. It can be a combination of the Dave Chappelle and The Ali G Show. Shaq interviews people, Shaq has characters that interview and interact with people. You can have games, comedians, and YES, competitions against other athletes in one of the segments. It has to be SHAQ's VARIETY HOUR or something better, not this. This is no good for hour-long episodes.

Playing against Roethlisberger, a football star in a country were football is king, was probably the highlight of the season. I think Tom Brady would have been better, but what is next? Oscar De La Hoya can be fun, but you are going to run out of good guests quickly and the show will be over. 

Trust me. We all know how funny you are and you can do better. I guess now it will have to wait until next season, considering that at some point you need to start getting in shape if you want to get that Championship with LeBron. I think Shaq. Vs. will be cancelled before you know it and you and Mark Cuban can have a nice chat about how ABC screwed you both. 

Anyways, just for the record, I hate reality shows and I only watched it because of you. I gave it a shot, but I don't think I will be back next week. Good luck and if you want to do another show I'd be happy to help!

More Drama for Dwyane

The drama is not over for Dwyane Wade. In an interview with the Miami New Times, his former business partner Richard von Houtman continues to claim that he has evidence that will prove that Dwyane Wade used to beat up his ex-wife Siohvaughn. He also claims that Wade did drugs and conducted sex parties with multiple groupies in their Brickell Avenue offices.

Most of these accustations have been proven false in the past, both by Pat Riley, Dwyane Wade, and even Siohvaughn. Still, it is obvious that von Houtman wants to make as much noise as possible to damage Dwyane's reputation.

"I don't hate Dwyane, but I think he's a fool," he ruminates solemnly. "He'll always be able to make $20 million a year playing basketball but not much more than that. Why would a company sign on with Dwyane after his name has been smeared through the mud, rather than a LeBron James or somebody like that who's kept his dirty business behind closed doors? What you're watching is the downfall of Dwyane Wade."

This guy is as shady as it gets. Not only he claims to be a "Baron", which is probably false, but he has been already in trouble with the law several times before. The article describes his several previous marriages and the different acts of violence that he was involved in. There are hints about his money being connected with drugs and other illegal activities.

If you have time, I suggest you read the entire article in the New Times and learn more about who this guy is. I think that even though most of us don't know Wade very well on a personal level, it's not hard to tell which one of these people is lying, and which one is trying to take advantage of the press just for the purpose of damaging the others image. Lucky for us and Wade, his reputation remains untouched in the larger scheme of things. He is considered a great player, a humanitarian, a very good father, and an excellent role model for kids everywhere. He has his sponsors, he has Micky Arison and Pat Riley behind him, the Heat and basketball fans all over the world, and even President Barack Obama. Let's wish him luck and hope that he can resolve these problems soon.

All Star Fun - This Weekend

According to the Miami Herald, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul will be some of the players joining Alonzo Mourning and Dwyane Wade in Sunday's Summer Groove All Star Game. That sounds like more than enough reasons to attend the game!

I've been to the Summer Groove events several times and it is a lot of fun. It's great to see these guys playing with no pressure and having a great time within friends. That, plus the other events are worth checking out as well. The comedy show, golf tournament, etc. You should definitely visit www.zsg.com for tickets and information. All proceeds go to charity. 

Shaq Attack

Nobody act surprised. We saw this one coming. The Cavaliers were able to bring Shaq on board, with the primary goal of helping LeBron James bounce back and win his first title. His mission will be to match up with Dwight Howard, and help LeBron motivate the Cavs after a disappointing ending to their dream season.

The question everyone is asking now is, how much does Shaq can do for them? He seemed finished in his last season with the Heat but bounced back big time during last season. Can he continue that?

Even if he is good enough to match up against every other Center in the East, and will definitely make things more difficult for our team and others in the Conference, can he take on Dwight Howard? Shaq is one year older. Dwight is one year better and more experienced. Most importantly, Shaq does not have the endurance that young players have, so they will have to figure out a way for him to stay healthy and energetic throughout the season. If they make it again to the East Finals, it will be a long way for them to have a healthy Shaq that can really help them.

All those questions will be answered soon enough, but what interested me into writing this is something else. Shaq is already a legend. He is one of my all time favorites. The fact that he can still get the amount of attention and importance people give him is impressive. Not only that, but he will be the only player in the game to share the ball with arguably the three best players of our generation after MJ.

Winning with Kobe, Dwyane, and now LeBron? I don't think that has ever happened before. For one player to be dominant for so long and play with all the up and coming Superstars and helping them get their first Championship. Forget about it. If Shaq wins the title his ego and personality will be even larger than ever. And he will have every reason to feel like the best player alive. 

Nike is already working on their Shaq puppet. As much as I'm expecing a Heat miracle that will allow us to contend this season, the idea of a Kobe vs. LeBron/Shaq Finals gives every basketball fan a reason to watch next season. And with the trades we have seen so far and what may happen today during Draft Day, this may as well be one of the most exciting and competitive seasons ever.