Pat Riley and former Heat teammates fire back at Shaq's disses...

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Riley and former Heat teammates fire back; call his comments "sad".

By Ira Winderman | Sun-Sentinel.com
6:38 PM EDT, March 26, 2008

NEW YORK - Simmering differences between the Heat and Shaquille O'Neal boiled over Wednesday, with the massive center lobbing massive volleys at his former team.

In a column in the Boston Globe, O'Neal trashed former teammates and his former coach while speaking about his move to the title-contending Suns.

"We have professionals who know what to do," O'Neal said of playing for the Suns. "No one is asking me to play with Chris Quinn or Ricky Davis. I'm actually on a team again."

Until Wednesday, most in the Heat organization had attempted to frame the Feb. 6 deal that sent O'Neal to Phoenix for forward Shawn Marion and guard Marcus Banks as a win-win transaction, allowing O'Neal to remain in the playoff race and the Heat to begin to rebuild.

However O'Neal's comments struck a chord with both Heat coach Pat Riley and Davis, as the Heat prepared for Wednesday night's game against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden,

"It's sad that he says those things," Riley said. "We shared so much here, together, for three years, good and bad, three and a half years.

"I just think it's sad that he's got to do that."

Davis initially downplayed the comment, saying, "You can't take stuff personally in the NBA. You'd go crazy."

But with time to reflect, he later said, "It shows his true colors."

Quinn was diplomatic.

"To be honest with you, I don't have too much to say about it," he said. "I don't know. But it didn't hurt me."

Despite during the best of times calling Riley "his greatest coach ever," O'Neal apparently took a contrasting view as the team stumbled to the bottom of the standings.

"I guess when you have a lot of power, you can do what you want," O'Neal told the Globe of Riley's personnel moves. "Me? If I ever came into that kind of power, I think I'd be willing to admit it if I messed up."

Riley, in fact, has mentioned numerous times that he deserves a failing grade for his offseason personnel moves, moves limited by the $20 million annual salary he granted O'Neal as part of a five-year, $100 million contract agreement in the 2005 offseason.

Riley reiterated that Wednesday.

"I've taken blame, basically, for this," Riley said. "The buck stops at the top. I wish him nothing but the best. I don't have anything but good feeling for Shaq. I mean it. I don't care what he's saying right now."

Riley stopped short of saying there had to be a parting.

"He didn't want to be there," Riley said of when the Heat found itself trapped at the bottom of the standings. "He didn't want to play for that kind of situation. He's 35 years old and he wanted to go to a contender. And we sent him there. We sent him to Utopia and we're here left with the carnage. And I don't know why he's not happy."

The team previously had gone as far as to afford O'Neal significant time off to rehabilitate a sore left hip, only to have O'Neal say that he did not get proper treatment until he arrived in Phoenix.


Riley defended the work of veteran trainer Ron Culp and the team's medical staff, saying O'Neal was out of line to speak poorly of them.

"It's really a shame that he would insult those people like that, because they gave him care. They cared. They didn't kiss his butt. They cared about trying to get him well. I don't think that is the right thing for him to do. He can do whatever he wants to me. I don't care. That's okay, I don't care. But those men, they tried. ... That upsets me more than anything."

In the interview with the Globe, which came in advance of Wednesday's Celtics-Suns game in Boston, O'Neal portrayed himself as the victim.

"Ever since I was a little kid," he said, "I've been the scapegoat when things went wrong... I understand being the scapegoat comes with being the superstar...

"But when you have no control how things are handled, and you are still the scapegoat, I don't go for that."

Of Riley's comments, O'Neal said colorfully, "I don't give a shit how he interpreted it."

Reminded that reporters couldn't use the quote because of the expletive, he said, "Sure you can. You can quote me, brother. You can put an 's,' then the tic-tac-toe, the 'at' sign and then the other symbols."

O'Neal was critical about shots — as in, not getting enough of them — often during his tenure with the Heat. This year, he expressed those sentiments in the days that followed a 110-101 loss at Utah on Dec. 3 — a game where Quinn didn't play and O'Neal and Davis were on court together for 16 minutes, 2 seconds.

Keep in mind, O'Neal is the one who repeatedly referred to his Miami coach as "the great Pat Riley" during his time in South Florida. But he also was clearly miffed when Riley pulled him in the first minute of a game at New Jersey earlier this season for blowing a defensive assignment.

He also complained about not getting enough touches two days after going 8-for-15 in a 120-99 loss against Orlando, another game where he and Quinn never were on the court at the same time. Plus, O'Neal got into an argument with Riley during an early season practice, and words got so heated that Alonzo Mourning intervened to keep the two separated.

O'Neal did own up to the ugliness of the parting.

"I have not left any of the teams on good notes," he told the Globe. "We players have our own little fraternity. We talk about stuff, so I've got to figure the coaches do, too...

"So I came to Phoenix prepared to show them what kind of person I am."

[Bay Area Jat]

shaq's a bitch and a fuckin police officer. if i were ricky davis i'd put a million on his head and have him whacked

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

shaq's a bitch

Did you just now come to this conclusion?

[Bay Area Jat]

yea i just now came to this conclussion that is why im so enraged

[OG Hack Wilson]

haha riley owned shaq

[Antonio_]

Laker fans already know the deal.

[GangstaBoogy]

Laker fans already know the deal.

Yet people don't understand why we still hate him.

[Antonio_]

Laker fans already know the deal.

Yet people don't understand why we still hate him.

Well they could ask Heat fans how they love Shaq now..

[.:DaYg0sTyLz:.]

Laker fans already know the deal.

Yet people don't understand why we still hate him.

because when it came to NBA titles..........Shaq bringeth.....and Shaq taketh away 

[OG Hack Wilson]

Laker fans already know the deal.

Yet people don't understand why we still hate him.

shaq brought you guys 3 titles in a row, maybe you should direct your hate at the guy who drove him from LA

[GangstaBoogy]

Laker fans already know the deal.

Yet people don't understand why we still hate him.

because when it came to NBA titles..........Shaq bringeth.....and Shaq taketh away 

Plan on saying anything valid?

[.:DaYg0sTyLz:.]

Laker fans already know the deal.

Yet people don't understand why we still hate him.

because when it came to NBA titles..........Shaq bringeth.....and Shaq taketh away 

Plan on saying anything valid?

so far, it is valid.

[GangstaBoogy]

Laker fans already know the deal.

Yet people don't understand why we still hate him.

because when it came to NBA titles..........Shaq bringeth.....and Shaq taketh away 

Plan on saying anything valid?

so far, it is valid.

So Shaq has taken titles away from a team?

[OG Hack Wilson]

Laker fans already know the deal.

Yet people don't understand why we still hate him.

because when it came to NBA titles..........Shaq bringeth.....and Shaq taketh away 

shaq got the title "taketh away" by Hakeem didn't he?

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Laker fans already know the deal.

Yet people don't understand why we still hate him.

shaq brought you guys 3 titles in a row, maybe you should direct your hate at the guy who drove him from LA

Himself? LOL


Shaq and Kobe brought us three consecutive titles, but it coulda been 6 consecutive if Shaq weren't such a douchebag.