The Big Retirement: Shaq leaves indelible mark on NBA
The Big Man opened up his home last week for one last get-together, in the city he never really left -- though, of course, he famously did.
Shaquille O'Neal officially retired on Friday, making the announcement from his suburban Orlando home, offering explanations, reflections and some contrition for all that transpired in his 19 NBA seasons, when he may have been the most popular player in the game, confidant to (most) teammates and a force that hadn't been seen in the game since the early days of Wilt Chamberlain.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was strong, but he was silent; Shaq was loud and boistrous and profane more than a little, sucking people into his celebrity like wind currents through a jet engine.
Shaquille O'Neal was the man who bridged the gap between the Jordan era and today's LeBron/Kobe era.
Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images
The Big Retirement: Shaq leaves indelible mark on NBA
Posted Jun 6 2011 10:13AM
The Big Man opened up his home last week for one last get-together, in the city he never really left -- though, of course, he famously did.
Shaquille O'Neal officially retired on Friday, making the announcement from his suburban Orlando home, offering explanations, reflections and some contrition for all that transpired in his 19 NBA seasons, when he may have been the most popular player in the game, confidant to (most) teammates and a force that hadn't been seen in the game since the early days of Wilt Chamberlain.
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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was strong, but he was silent; Shaq was loud and boistrous and profane more than a little, sucking people into his celebrity like wind currents through a jet engine.
Yes, it's The Finals, and the hope is not to take away from the battle between the Heat and Mavs, which has been terrific so far. And you wonder if the timing of Shaq's retirement announcement last week on Twitter wasn't a coincidence, as the big man calls attention to himself one last time during The Finals that he once dominated. But even if that's so, it's worth it to take a few minutes to recognize the NBA life and times of the man who was a crucial conduit between the age of Michael Jordan and the age of LeBron James.
Kobe Bryant may well have been the best player of that era, relentless in his preparation, brilliant in his play and unsparing in his criticism of those who didn't meet his championship standards. But O'Neal was the guy who brought joy and laughs, who brought kids and casual fans into the tent with how he played on the court and how he tried to inhale life off it. Tim Duncan was O'Neal's equal as a big man, with four titles of his own in San Antonio, and no one would dispute his seriousness of purpose. He won't be ignored by history. But Shaq was the guy who threw the party that everyone wanted to go after school.
NBA commissioner David Stern: He was a giant. He's physically imposing, he has an imposing smile, and in the game, he imposed his will. And he has done it for quite a long time. It's been a great run, and we're going to miss him greatly and we hope we can find ways to keep him involved in the game.
