Jun 15, 2006 7:45 am US/Central
Shaq Speaks: Shaquille O'Neal Is Talkative Again
MIAMI (AP) ―
The Heat center was fined ten-thousand dollars earlier in the NBA finals for not making himself available for interviews after a loss in Dallas. O'Neal was back to his chatty ways yesterday -- one day after his Miami Heat beat the Mavericks, 98-to-96 and got within two-to-one in the best-of-seven championship series.
Among the hotter topics: What he thinks of the criticism that comes his way during this series.
O'Neal's numbers are nothing like the ones that carried him to three finals MVP awards earlier this decade. He's averaging 12-point-seven points and eight rebounds in the series, while Mavs backup center Erick Dampier -- the subject of many past snide O'Neal comments -- is averaging nine-point-three points and nine-point-seven rebounds.
So he was asked, does he now regret some of the putdowns he's thrown Dampier's way in recent years?
"No, because he's not playing me one-on-one," O'Neal said. "They're double- and triple-teaming me. It really upsets me that you guys are trying to make it a one-on-one thing with when I'm getting doubled and tripled. So don't ask me questions like that. OK?"
He was smiling afterward, but there was probably more than a tinge of seriousness in his answer.
His teammates acknowledge that the Shaq of today isn't the Shaq of 1995 or 2000. But Dwyane Wade -- O'Neal's superstar running mate in Miami -- says the Heat completely understand his importance to this team.
Wade says: "Everyone knows that he's 34 years old and he's not the young Shaq-be-nimble-Shaq-be quick no more. But we know we wouldn't be at this point and the finals without him."
O'Neal doesn't enjoy criticism. Outwardly, he laughs much of it off, but inside, those around him know that he can take some things personally -- even at this point of his career.
Heat coach Pat Riley says O'Neal's "concerned about his legacy. He's a man that wants to be considered right there with the great ones of all time. He's very proud. ... I think right now is the first time that Shaquille is experiencing this kind of judgment on his game, and it's bothering him."
Riley is probably right, but O'Neal -- who had 16 points, eleven rebounds and a team-best five assists in Miami's 98-to-96 win Tuesday -- won't let on that's the case.
He says -- "I've been scrutinized every day of my life. So, you know, it's nothing new. You know, nothing that a person writes is not going to, you know, make me cry or go drink rat poison or nothing. I'm more harder on myself than any one of you could ever be on me."
Ah, insight into the inner feelings of Shaq? Maybe. But he also immediately delivered the punch line to keep his enthralled audience off-balance.
"I can't read anyway," he quickly added, "so it doesn't matter what you write."
(© 2006 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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