first it was bosh...now it's dwight, svg, and ewing

Shaq blasts Van Gundy

Don't get in a war of words with Shaquille O'Neal. He's undefeated in verbal warfare.

Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy took at a shot at O'Neal after the Magic's Tuesday night win against the Suns, criticizing O'Neal for "flopping." O'Neal had gone to the floor while defending Dwight Howard on one play and admitted after the game that it was a flop, "like everyone else does to me."

But O'Neal unleashed on Van Gundy before tonight's game in Miami. He rarely speaks before games but did so to a group of reporters and then again to the Republic to send his message tonight.

First, here's what Van Gundy said, "“I was shocked, seriously, shocked. And very disappointed cause he knows what it’s like. Lets stand up and play like men, and I think our guy did that tonight.”

Now, here is O'Neal with some more profane moments retracted:

"He (Howard) came with the same old, stale Patrick Ewing move so I tried to stand there and take the charge. The new rules say if you come through, you fall. But as I fell, I realized that it was a flop and it reminded me of Coach Van Gundy’s whole coaching career. The one thing I despise is a frontrunner. First of all, none of his players like him. When it gets tough, he will become the master of panic like he did before and he will quit like he did before. The one thing I despise is frontrunners. Yeah, he’s got a young team playing good but don’t be a frontrunner. Him and his brother and even the legend on the bench ain’t done what I’ve done in my whole career. So flopping would be the wrong choice of words."

"I just tried to take a charge. The (expletive) rules say you can’t stand there and get hit. You’ve got to fall. The (expletive) got the same old stinking move that Patrick Ewing has been doing his whole career. I went down, got up and didn’t complain. I see him and Stan complaining the whole game because they’ve got to. Remember, I’ve done more than him, his brother and Patrick Ewing."

"Stan Van Gundy reminds me of a broke navigational system. He knows everything about everything but ain’t never been nowhere. Think about that. If I’m right here and I type in the address of where you’re going, I know where it’s at but I’m not going there."


"When a bum says some (stuff) about it and I respond, you can (expletive) cancel that cuz I know how he is in real life. We’ll see when the playoffs start and he (expletive) panics and quits like he did when he was here (in Miami). And you (expletive) print it just like that. Do I look soft to you like you can say something and I’m not going to say something?"

"Notice they didn’t play me straight up. We’ll see how far they go cuz I know Stan. I said this a long time ago but I was actually talking about him: 'When the general panics, the troops will panic. Like in business, when the head panics and takes out all his stock, what happens?"
"All the players hate him. The players don’t even like him. I hate frontrunners. I really do. I don’t like any frontrunners. There’s a pecking order involved. I’ve been there six times."

"I ain’t going to let no bum like him rip me and not say anything back. You can cancel that (expletive) all the way. Usually, I let (expletive) go. Not that. Not him. Hell no."

"The rules say when a guy goes through your chest you’ve got to fall to get the call. It was a flop. You’ve watched me play for 17 years. I don’t play like that."

"I’m not going to sit around and let nobodies take a shot at me and he is a nobody to me. And if he thinks he can get in a little press conference and take shots at me like I’m not going to (say) something back, he’s got another thing coming."

Guess so.

i dunno wtf is Shaq's problem he's gotta take those cheap shots at Ewing all the time... yeah, we know u've won championships Shaq... we get it... have some class... fine, get on SVG, he asked for it w/his prior comments, but what the hell did Ewing do to deserve those cheap shots?

Posted by TMS:

i dunno wtf is Shaq's problem he's gotta take those cheap shots at Ewing all the time... yeah, we know u've won championships Shaq... we get it... have some class... fine, get on SVG, he asked for it w/his prior comments, but what the hell did Ewing do to deserve those cheap shots?

Yeah plus Shaq has played with about 5 or 6 different players who are all better than anyone Ewing ever played with

Posted by Pharzeone:

Posted by TMS:

i dunno wtf is Shaq's problem he's gotta take those cheap shots at Ewing all the time... yeah, we know u've won championships Shaq... we get it... have some class... fine, get on SVG, he asked for it w/his prior comments, but what the hell did Ewing do to deserve those cheap shots?

They don't like each other. Shaq still holds a grudge against Ewing for not welcoming him to the league. He said Ewing was extremely cold to him, a man that he claimed to look up to as a kid.

Shaq's got some serious insecurity issues if he can't be satisfied w/his multiple rings he's gotta shove them in people's faces every chance he gets.

Whoa!! Dayum!!

Pat needs to put back on those five-foot knee pads, those orange cement shoes, and get the high-top fade back and poppin and get in Shaq's ass again. That stuff sounds personal right there.

Naw, real talk man Shaq is an attention hoe. He always got to run his mouth about something or some one.

Van Gundy was right to bark at him. How many years has Shaq been bitchin and crying about people floppin on him...i.e players falling to the floor after Shaq has bulldozed them and put his elbow where their teeth used to be. Now his old ass is floppin? As Chuck would say, Vlade Divac is rollin over in his grave. HYPOCRITE.

Shaq couldnt just let the comment go. He HAD to get the last word. Bytchassness.

Character is the problem. Ewing essentially was on one team and is still loved in NY. Shaq almost ended up on his fifth team and maybe what is wrong with his team this year. JVG was student teacher of the year where he went to college. I don't know Stan but I know a bit about the VG family and they are very respected, humble and hard working.

My god how Ewing grows in stature over the years.

Shaq mentioned Ewings "MOVE" not the man.

Shaq is all rejuvinated and wants that attention back. He runs his mouth and I think was overdoing this subject.

Orlando won the game.

Is this how Shaq wants to buy into the Magic as partner?

I love Shaq, crotchety old man and all.

Shaq keeps quiet as often as he hits free throws.

He does once in a while but more often than not he doesn't.

Look how long it took for him to get over his Laker years.

I still find him entertaining, either way.

[Edited by - K22 on 2009-03-05 10:38 AM]

Posted by Cosmic:

Posted by K22:

Shaq keeps quiet as often as he hits free throws.

He does once in a while but more often than not he doesn't.

Look how long it took for him to get over his Laker years.

Only an idiot could be so upset over winning 3 titles, having a great team with the leagues #2 player alongside him, guided by one of the best coaches in history, and being paid big bucks.

I mean, come'on, what the hell? It takes a certain kind of special to have such issues with that. Not everyone gets along but you'd think the Lakers were a perennial 10 win team and Shaq was being paid the LLE each year the way he whines about that era of basketball. He's a big dummy.

He's getting old and sees the end is nearing and he is sensitive. Happened to me to. If a guy at the Y even tries to score on me I punch him in the face. Doesn't he know who I was?

Shaq is killing everyone who gets in his path right now

He is the real Terminator I always knew it---he's a T 1000 model.