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Do you remember the old Shaquille O'Neal? The one that always had a funny one liner ready when reporters crowded around his locker. The goofy kid whose comedic timing was almost as great as his post-up game...

Shaquille O'Neal's Newest Nickname: The Big Mouth

by Alex Kennedy (Columnist)

31

3,122 reads

Opinion

April 06, 2008


Do you remember the old Shaquille O'Neal?

The one that always had a funny one liner ready when reporters crowded around his locker. The goofy kid whose comedic timing was almost as great as his post-up game.

What happened to that Shaq?

These days, reporters are crowding around his locker for another reason. The Big Aristotle has suddenly shown the world a new persona: The Big Mouth. 

From Chris Quinn to Kevin Garnett, nobody is safe from O'Neal's criticism.

Shortly after being traded from the Miami Heat to the Phoenix Suns, Shaquille immediately started throwing his former teammates under the bus.

"We have professionals who know what to do. No one is asking me to play with Chris Quinn and Ricky Davis. I'm actually on a team again," said the newest Sun. 

Pat Riley responded, "It's sad he says those things. It's really a shame he would insult those people like that because they gave him care. They cared about him. He can do whatever he wants to me but those men, they tried. That upsets me more than anything."

He would later go onto describe how defenses would leave Quinn and Davis to stop him from getting the ball. He basically humiliated these two men through the media.

Sound familiar? Shaq has a history of doing this. No matter what, Shaq's current team is the best team that he's ever been on and he's happy as hell to be there. The quote is always similar, "I'm very happy to play for this great coach and with these guys. It's going to be great blah blah blah." Then when he leaves, he trashes them.

He did it in Orlando (Penny Hardaway), Los Angeles (Kobe Bryant), and now in Miami.

When asked about Hardaway, Bryant, and Wade during his stint with the Heat, Shaq said, "The difference between those three is in "The Godfather" trilogy. One is Fredo, who was never ready for me to hand it over to him. One is Sonny, who will do whatever it takes to be the man. And one is Michael, who if you watch the trilogy, the Godfather hands it over to Michael. So I have no problem handing it over to Dwyane."

It's definitely obvious that O'Neal has a history of saying whatever he wants, no matter who it affects or offends.

But it's not just his former teammates he has been talking about lately. It's some of the top players around the league. 

For example, let's look at his recent comments about Dwight Howard. After Howard won this year's Slam Dunk contest largely in part because of his popular "Superman dunk", the Orlando Magic center was dubbed Superman by some. However, Shaq coined this nickname years ago and despite the fact that the nickname has barely stuck with Howard since the All-Star break, O'Neal still felt the need to say something.

"Superman is still mine," O'Neal said last week. "He [Howard] has to do something first to be called Superman. Anyone can win a slam-dunk contest. The real Superman is dead. He was assassinated by Pat Riley [in Miami]."

So let's get this straight. When he went to Miami, he stated that Pat Riley was the best coach he had ever played for, a clear knock on his former Laker coach, Phil Jackson. Now that he is in Phoenix, he is disrespecting Riley?

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31 comments Last one added about 1 year ago — Leave a Comment

  1. Jason O about 1 year ago

    Thats Gold.

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  2. Alex Silletti about 1 year ago

    Beautiful.

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  3. Yama Hazheer about 1 year ago

    A work of art.

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  4. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    He really is the Big Mouth. Maybe he's been introduced to peyote cactus.

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  5. Alex Kennedy about 1 year ago

    Thanks for the comments!

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  6. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    That's what happens when you become a cop. You lose your sense of humor & turn into a d!*%

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  7. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    nice

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  8. Alex Kennedy about 1 year ago

    Bleacher Report must not have many Shaq fans because I definitely anticipated some negative comments when I published this. So far, it's been all good though. haha

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  9. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    A big mouth for a large amount of food and dicks!

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  10. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    I can see where you are going with this, but this is the most dominant center to ever play the game, so even if he makes stupid comments at times you cannot forget his achievements and what he bring to the teams he plays with.

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    • Andrew Palumbo about 1 year ago

      Sorry Anonymous, but "most dominant center to ever play the game" is far too much credit to give Shaq.

      Shaq himself would point to the true most dominant center to ever play the game: Bill Russell

      Hall-of-Famer
      5-Time MVP
      12-Time All-Star
      11 Championships in a 13 year Career
      3-Time All-NBA First Team
      8-Time All-NBA Second Team

      Shaq was definitely a great center during his time, but Bill Russell was great for all thirteen years of his career and all basketball purists understand that his career achievements will never be touched by the likes of Shaq or anyone else who has played the center position in the NBA to date. But who knows what the future may bring...

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    • Alex Kennedy about 1 year ago

      Agreed. Russell's accomplishments speak for themselves. The last two stats you posted are very interesting though. I never knew that Russell was only an NBA first teamer three times. I looked into it and the only reason that he wasn't selected to that team each year is one man: Wilt Chamberlain. You could also make the case for Wilt in terms of most dominant center. He was a man among boys out there.

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  11. Alex Kennedy about 1 year ago

    He is definitely one of the top players of all time but that doesn't give him a pass to be obnoxious and rude.

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  12. Mike Owens about 1 year ago

    Good stuff dude. I was a huge fan of Shaq when he was in Orlando and LA, but ever since leaving LA, he's had nothing but crap to say about each team he's played for. I really hope he never gets to touch another NBA title, cause he doesn't deserve it.

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  13. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    i love you, and this. amazing writer

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    • Alex Kennedy about 1 year ago

      Haha, for anyone wondering, this is my girlfriend Marah commenting not some stalker. :P And yeah, she likes sports. Aren't I lucky? haha I love you too. :P

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  14. Alex Kennedy about 1 year ago

    Oh and thanks for the comment Mike.

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  15. Aaron Sanders about 1 year ago

    Eh, it was alright...

    Just kidding man....great stuff :)

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  1. Montell Scott about 1 year ago

    Shaq the Big Aristupid, great article... and if u ask me, he's not responsible for the 3 titles in L.A. or the title in Miami, you could have easily put Tim Duncan or Kevin Garnett (2 guys that he verbally bashes whenever he gets a chance to) on those teams and there still would have won championships.

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  2. Alex Kennedy about 1 year ago

    Aaron and Montell, thanks for the comments. :)

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  3. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    First off i completely agree with the greatness of Bill and Wilt, but don't forget that in their time they only had each other to really compete against. Shaq over his career has faced a much tougher group of people. Notice i said he is the most dominant center ever, not the best. The best to me would be a very difficult one to start off, but would begin with the likes of Bill, Wilt, and Kareem. I am not saying he has the right to say stupid comments at any time, but half the stuff he says is usually the truth but it could have been expressed in a better manner.

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    • Alex Kennedy about 1 year ago

      I think that a list of the best centers would go Kareem, Russell, Wilt, and then Shaq.

      And what do you mean half the stuff he says is true? Garnett doesn't play defense? Howard hasn't done anything but win a dunk contest? Those are ridiculous statements that are far from true.

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  4. danny kempton about 1 year ago

    Great Article!!!

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  5. Alex Kennedy about 1 year ago

    I'm praying for a Suns-Lakers matchup in the first round of the playoffs.

    I want Kobe to send Shaq and Raja fishing.

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  6. Anonymous about 1 year ago

    That comment about Wilt and Russell only having each other to compete was not true. There were many excellent centers in that era like Walt Bellamy, Nate Thurmond and Willis Reed. There were also big men like Jerry Lucas and Bob Petit, who was still a very productive player at the time. I believe all of these guys are Hall of Famers and all except Bellamy are members the 50 Greatest Players. No doubt that Wilt and Russell were a class of their own though.

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  7. TJ Zwarych about 1 year ago

    Wow, great article, I never really realised how much of a big mouth he was until your article, well done.

    Hey Everyone check it out, I have the truth on Kobe Bryant jumping the Aston Martin, check it out, its on my page, he announced it on Pardon the Interuption

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  8. scott wilde about 1 year ago

    Alex thank you very much for this brilliant article......I've thought shaq was a pile of s**t ever since he held off surgery with the lakers until right before training camp!!!! He is just a big ass baby!!!! he should be held responsible for breaking up the laker dynasty...Kobe gets way too much for that!!!!! KOBE has always only wanted to win and SHAQ always wanted to show to camp fatt as hell!!!!! I always gave props to Kobe for speaking his mind....Look at everytime Kobe starts to complain... it's always cause he's not winning!!!! The man just wants to win!!!!!SHAQ just wants to be fat and try to be cute with his stupid ass comments!!!! I'm sick of it!!!! He's damn good though!!!!!can't leave without saying that!!!!!thanks Alex.....

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