Shaquille O'Neal: Why Los Angeles Should Retire the Big Diesel's Jersey
Shaquille O'Neal has called himself a number of nicknames over the years. These names include Superman, Diesel, Shaq Daddy, The Big Aristotle, The Big Cactus, Wilt Chamberneazy and the Big Deporter.
His recent signing with the Boston Celtics has caused some turmoil among Lakers Nation, which encompasses much more than his new proclaimed nickname the "Big Shamrock." Some Lakers fans describe his signing with Boston as a traitorous move.
To realize the extent of such feelings, one must understand the true rivalry between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers. Unlike what actor Jake Gyllenhaal proclaimed during the NBA playoffs, one cannot be a true Celtics and Lakers fan at the same time. Either one bleeds green or one bleeds purple and gold.
To frame the situation in a better light, the NBA's two most storied franchises are now separated by one title. Every Lakers championship is a hit against Boston and vice versa.
Hence, the worse thing possible for Lakers fans is for Shaq to win a ring this year for Boston, putting the Celtics two titles ahead of LA while tying beloved star Kobe Bryant with five rings.
This is what true sports rivalries are all about. Yet, despite all the animosity, Shaquille O'Neal deserves to have his jersey retired in LA after he finishes his career.
To address Laker fans' worries, there is no guarantee that Shaq will win a ring in Boston. While Shaq can help bolster the Celtics front line and attack the Miami Heat at its weakest position, Shaq hasn't exactly been a positive force for his recent teams.
He was somewhat of a locker room cancer toward the end of his playing time in LA, Miami, Phoenix, and Cleveland. If you were at the Bellagio, you might be wise to bet that he doesn't quite gel with his new Boston teammates.
Once Kendrick Perkins comes back from injury, the Celtics may have a rotation problem in the front court. Someone will be left out of the rotation, whether it be Shaq, Jermaine O'Neal, or Glen Davis—whom I would argue right now is a more effective player over Shaq.
Besides leaving the past few franchises with negative emotions, O'Neal may actually hurt Boston more than he helps the Celtics. The Celtics are a team that relies on defense to win and Shaq is no longer the defensive presence that he used to be. His lateral movement is slow and his pick-and-roll defense is atrocious.
In addition to defense, Shaq tends to clog the lane with his big body and does not always mesh well with other superstars. Phoenix performed worse when O'Neal and Amare Stoudemire played together. Per 100 possessions played in Cleveland, the team was only +3.4 points when Shaq was in the game. Yet, when he was sitting on the pine, the Cavs outscored other teams +15.7 points per 100 possessions played.
A lot of Laker fans tend to be bitter towards Shaq not only for his recent moves, but also for his arrogant departure from LA—which most of the media is now blaming him more than Kobe, since he was reluctant to acknowledge his career declining. He was also unwilling to play second fiddle to the rising star in Bryant.
But consider some of the facts regarding Shaquille O'Neal's tenure in LA. He is a future Hall of Famer who spent more than twice the number of years in LA than with any other team. Additionally, Shaq had his most dominant years while playing for the Lakers.
The Big Fella, as Chick Hearn affectionately called him, had a three-year run in the NBA Finals averaging 35.9 ppg, 15.2 rpg, and 2.9 bpg on 60 percent shooting from 2000-2002. Compare those stats to any of the best Finals series of other all-time greats, and Shaq more than holds his own.
Shaq had his best offensive and defensive years while playing in LA, earning a scoring title, MVP award, and earning multiple berths to the All-Defensive Second Team. During his reign in purple and gold, Shaq put up the franchise's second best scoring average during the season (27.0 ppg) and playoffs (27.7 ppg) and the highest blocks average in the playoffs.
Regarding the Lakers franchise total stats, he ranks seventh in points, fifth in rebounds, and second in blocks. In addition, let's not forget he brought three championship banners to LA as well.
Consider that O'Neal has been a 15-time All-Star and has been selected to the First Team All-NBA eight times. This feat was only accomplished by one other player in the history of the game—Kareem Abdul-Jabbar—who just so happens to have his number retired by LA. The only other player to win three Finals MVP awards in a row is Michael Jordan, who is just some player from North Carolina that many deem to be the greatest ever.
The Lakers have been blessed with some of the all-time greats: Kareem, Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, Magic Johnson, Gail Goodrich, James Worthy, and Kobe Bryant. All of those players have their numbers retired by LA except Kobe, who will have his jersey hanging soon after he retires.
Despite the controversies surrounding Shaquille O'Neal, he has a career that many people would place in the top 10 players of all-time. As one of the best players to ever lace them up and having by far his best career years with the Lakers, Shaquille O'Neal deserves to have his number hanging among the other greats in the Staples Center.
