The Big Parasite

As an NBA fan, I usually like to keep sides with teams and individuals that have good character, those who tend to play the game “the right way” and who knows when to take or give credit when it’s due. Granted, the preceding statement could be vaguely used to describe just about anyone in the league, I’d like to believe others who follow the game closely probably have an idea what I’m talking about. Which is why rooting for guys like Tim Duncan, Dwyane Wade, and Grant Hill feels right, while reviling players like Chris Webber, Vince Carter, and Stephon Marbury seem like second nature. That’s not to say that they’re completely evil human beings, just very talented basketball players with bad track records as performers and teammates.

For the past decade, no other player has elicited as much personal loathing from me as Shaquille O’Neal. From his antics as a brash young center with the Orlando Magic, to his ‘coronation’ as the ‘most dominant ever’ with the Lakers, up to his current insistence that he is the one and only reason why Wade and the Miami Heat were able to secure a title.  Certainly, talented superstars are, by merit, entitled to an exaggerated view of self-worth. But when that ego far overshadows the actual contributions and performance of an individual who continues to trumpet himself as the best thing since sliced bread, it’s time to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Just take a peek at this recently uploaded video on YouTube courtesy of TMZ.com:

Shaq undoubtedly possesses talent, both physical and mental. And he’s played a big part in his teams’ success in recent years. But to suggest that he is the main ingredient of all the past and future championship results that his teams have been/will a be part of is foolhardy.

His first two seasons with Orlando yielded a missed play-off record and a 3 game sweep to the Indiana Pacers. Even during his Finals run in ‘94 with the Magic, point guard Anfernee Hardaway was at least equally, if not more, instrumental to the success that they enjoyed. The way Olajuwon systematically dismantled him during the ‘94 Finals sweep is a testament to how far off his skill level was from being an elite center at the time.  Quite a few people have a tendency to forget how much of a factor Penny was before his body started breaking down in the late 90’s.  Hardaway was an All-NBA first team member during that glorious stretch (94-96). And Shaq? Let’s just say between Hakeem, Robinson, and Ewing, they didn’t have enough awards for centers left to give to the Diesel. That didn’t stop him from proclaiming himself as the strongest/biggest/baddest/etc. center in the league. After an injury-riddled 95-96 season, he left Orlando and Penny holding an empty bag and not in the best of terms with a mercenary move to L.A. for the most money he could get in his first stint as a free agent.

The second arc of his career began with the Lakers amidst more bluster and more early playoff exits until he was teamed up with a young Kobe Bryant. Even then his teams were regularly defeated by other Western Conference powers. After Phil Jackson was brought aboard in ‘99, the maturity and the skill sets started to mesh leading to three straight NBA titles (’00-’02). Despite the success enjoyed in that period, constant bickering between Kobe and Shaq for alpha dog status was not unheard of. By seniority, Shaq deserves to be accorded that honor, but Kobe isn’t exactly just another sidekick who’s been letting Shaq carry the team all by himself. In fact, it could be argued that Shaq just usually keeps the Lakers within striking distance while Kobe closes out the opposition. It all came unraveled in 2004 when, despite the additions of ring-less all-time greats Karl Malone and Gary Payton, the Lakers fell to the underdog Pistons in the Finals. A bitter separation followed after the Lakers refused to give him a big raise the following year due to his declining skills and issues with other players (read: Kobe), choosing to save money for Kobe’s contract instead, resulting in a trade to the Miami Heat.

As luck would have it, he was again paired with an emerging and talented guard in Dwyane Wade. The Heat reached the Eastern conference finals that year, stretching Detroit to seven games. The trade probably rejuvenated/motivated him to to perform his best, something that has been increasingly difficult to coax from him since his title days in L.A. After that one year honeymoon, the Heat regressed a bit, but was able to capture lightning in a bottle with an unbelievable run in the playoffs behind Wade. The following 2 years only brought misery with an injured and increasingly grumpy Shaq, which led to an embarrassing first round playoff elimination in 2007, and another acrimonious mid-season split with his team this year. His current chapter with the Phoenix Suns has yet to play out but if the past half-season is any indication, he’s probably going to wear out his welcome pretty quickly, what with the other big ego of Amare Stoudamire needing to be balanced with his.

See the pattern? Get talented ’sidekick’, win, gloat, demand more attention and focus, rinse and repeat. It’s become a familiar refrain, one that we should keep in mind the next time the Big Aristotle ‘decides’ to ‘win some more championships’.