"D'Antoni added lukewarm praise for Robinson's recent practices, saying, "He's playing hard, doing fine. He's doing what he's supposed to do."

That's not good enough, apparently, to get back on the court.

"I want Nate to play," Howard told reporters yesterday. "We were just having fun. It shouldn't matter what you do before the game.""

That kind of sentiment is part of the reason Dwight has no rings.

Lebron's dancing and his statements after betray a similar perspective. He has no rings either.

Iverson wondered famously, "... how the hell can I make my teammates better by practice?" No rings for The Answer.

I know, they're young. And hopefully, in the case of the first two, the'll mature soon enough. But the list of players who would never say such things is long enough:

Chauncy
Duncan
Kobe
Garnet
Allen
etc...

What do these players have in common?

The guys you listed are professionals (except for Garnett, who is a punk.)

TRU wrote:

orangeblobman wrote:They're a bunch of punks.

The guys you listed are professionals (except for Garnett, who is a punk.)

Yeah, Garnet is a bully, but he takes winning seriously. You don't really have to be a high-character guy to be sucessful, or even to be a champion. You do have to be focused, among other things.

Winning a championship doesn't make you a good person or better man either. It just makes you a champion-- a winner. There's a difference. Tiger Woods is a champion. Allan Houston kinda wasn't.

Having "character guys" on my squad isn't my priority. Having winners is.

'TRU'.

There are like 10,000 factors that play into winning a title. You really cant categorize the player that brings it home, except that they are usually awesome (and thats a fact)

fishmike wrote:where does Shaq fit into that with his constant goofing off, rap albums, bad movies, parties and long detailed history of showing up out of shape and playing into, or taking long "injury" breaks during the regular season to be "fresh" for the playoffs?

There are like 10,000 factors that play into winning a title. You really cant categorize the player that brings it home, except that they are usually awesome (and thats a fact)

This all absolutely applied to Shaq:
Talent multiplied by hard work
Determination multiplied by organization culture
Smarts multiplied by solid coaching.

His clown skills are just another dimension of his talent and smarts.
He makes you lough, but who are you laughing at... yourself.

fishmike wrote:where does Shaq fit into that with his constant goofing off, rap albums, bad movies, parties and long detailed history of showing up out of shape and playing into, or taking long "injury" breaks during the regular season to be "fresh" for the playoffs?

There are like 10,000 factors that play into winning a title. You really cant categorize the player that brings it home, except that they are usually awesome (and thats a fact)

When you are the most physically gifted center to come out in the last 25 years, you can get away with a lot, but don't be fooled. Shaq has worked on his game over the years and when he wants to, can be a very focused player.

I think the common factor with championship teams is that they play as a team. Everyone knows their role and the team has 1 or 2 players that have the strength of will and skill-set needed to carry the team over the top.

The problem with Nate is that he does not appreciate the fact that his team was 4-15. With that record, you need to be focus on getting the win, not horsing around. When you are 15-4, then you can joke around before the game. When you are 4-15, you need to be focused on the game play and figuring out how you can get a win.

TheGame wrote:When you are the most physically gifted center to come out in the last 25 years, you can get away with a lot, but don't be fooled. Shaq has worked on his game over the years and when he wants to, can be a very focused player.

I think the common factor with championship teams is that they play as a team. Everyone knows their role and the team has 1 or 2 players that have the strength of will and skill-set needed to carry the team over the top.

The problem with Nate is that he does not appreciate the fact that his team was 4-15. With that record, you need to be focus on getting the win, not horsing around. When you are 15-4, then you can joke around before the game. When you are 4-15, you need to be focused on the game play and figuring out how you can get a win.

agreed.

fishmike wrote:

djsunyc wrote:

fishmike wrote:where does Shaq fit into that with his constant goofing off, rap albums, bad movies, parties and long detailed history of showing up out of shape and playing into, or taking long "injury" breaks during the regular season to be "fresh" for the playoffs?

There are like 10,000 factors that play into winning a title. You really cant categorize the player that brings it home, except that they are usually awesome (and thats a fact)

shaq played robin to kobe + wade...after he was thoroughly bitchslapped by hakeem in the finals...

not even close.

You need the great guard to finish. I think thats a proven. Thats why Ewing doesnt have a ring. I think Shaq wins another ring this year. I think he knows he can cement his legacy in a big way. Shaq+Kobe=ring. Shaq+Wade=ring. Shaq+Lebron=ring. What do they all have in common?

a ring?