http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/story/235695p-202417c.html

Slim Daddy's ready to roll

Shaquille O'Neal stepped up on the scales last week and saw a number he hasn't seen in more than a few years: 334.

By Shaq's count, he's already dropped 26 pounds since his final days as a Laker. Thanks to a twice-a-day cardiovascular regimen, he's in his best shape in years. And he's not finished. His goal, he's told friends, is to drop another nine pounds by the time he reports for his first training camp in Miami next week.


A leaner, meaner Shaq is going to clean up this season. But it's not just because he's motivated by the way his Laker career ended. Of course he's still burning up over how Jerry Buss decided to rebuild around Kobe Bryant after the Lakers flamed out in the Finals.


"Who's going to be the scapegoat now? Who are they going to point at now?" he said last week, when he was back in L.A. to host a basketball camp. "They've got to have a scapegoat. And they know I'm strong enough to be that scapegoat."


There's more than just bad memories to keep Shaq going this year. With a player option in his contract after the season, he's looking to get the kind of new deal that Buss refused to pay. That was a major consideration in moving O'Neal. As ex-Lakers exec Jerry West recently observed, "some of it was probably a financial decision."


It could cost less for Buss to rebuild around Bryant, still only 26, than to keep paying O'Neal, 32, who was getting to be a pain with his constant demands for an extension. Now, Heat owner Mickey Arison is the one who will hear Shaq's kvetching.


Well, Mickey, how does three years for $90 million sound?


We didn't pluck those numbers out of thin air. Those are the very figures Shaq has in mind.


He'll make $28 million this season and isn't about to take a pay cut, even if the Heat is one of the league's financial wrecks. They've been losing at least $15 million per year for the last few seasons, according to financial gurus. And even with O'Neal's drawing power, they still stand to lose $10 million this season.


The problem with extending Shaq at his figure is that he's shown signs of wearing down (see his playoff performances when he plays on only one day's rest) and he could very well revert to his lazy offseason habits after this season.


At this time next year, those numbers on Shaq's scale could be going back up.

Given Shaq's age and history of putting on weight in the offseason, if I owned the Heat, I'd tell Shaq, "Thanks for getting in great shape in the offseason, but we'll wait about 18 months before talking about a contract extension."
If he's serious about staying in shape and works hard next summer too and doesn't show significant signs of aging, I'd give him an extension then. But the Heat would be bidding against themselves because no ther team could pay Shaq more than about half what he's demanding when he becomes a free agent.

Posted by Nalod:

Do you have any pictures of the slimmer, more trim, chistled, Shaq?

I read once that for every ten pounds you lose, you gain one inch of lenght in the penis?

Imagine such a statistic?

so when u gain 10 pounds does it shrink as well?

Posted by MaTT4281:

3 yrs/90 mil?!?!?! I don't care who you are, that's too much, even for Shaq.

Not to mention he is older and slightly slower now. $30mil/yr for 3 years is ridiculous. I think he will get something like 3 yrs, 65mil.

Posted by MaTT4281:

3 yrs/90 mil?!?!?! I don't care who you are, that's too much, even for Shaq. You have another 11 guys on your team you need to pay.

[Edited by - MaTT4281 on 09/26/2004 21:11:44]

Shaq will have a career year. Its amazing what a man can do under the duress of a contract year. Even add 2.6 inches!!!!!!

Run Mrs. Shaq, RUN!

If he loses 4 more pounds that would be an even 30 pounds lost!
Then his EXTENSION would equate to 30 million dollars per inch!

Thats a lot of




Money. What did yah think I'd say???????

I hope nobody makes this topic "STICKY". Yuck

[Edited by - nalod on 09/26/2004 22:37:42]

[Edited by - nalod on 09/26/2004 22:41:46]

he wont get it... nobody can pay him more that $12mm, so why should the HEat give him 30? I would offer something like $57mm for 3 years, because he will have to take it.

Posted by Bonn1997:

Posted by fishmike:

he wont get it... nobody can pay him more that $12mm, so why should the HEat give him 30? I would offer something like $57mm for 3 years, because he will have to take it.

What if Shaq tells you that if you give him that big a paycut (you are cutting his salary almost in half), he won't work nearly as hard in the offseason?

If it was me, I wouldn't resign him in that case. You don't want that type of attitude on your team. Miami could try and sign another bigman when Shaq comes off the books. Just checking Realgm.com, some of the brightspots of that year's free agency include: Tyson Chandler, Eddie Curry, Ben Wallace (if by some miracle he doesn't get an extension or resign with DET), Jamal Magloire, and Kwame Brown.

[Edited by - MaTT4281 on 09/27/2004 15:12:15]

miami can't jsut let shaq walk. that's out of the question for them. tehy had a sweet core that would be competitive for years, and htey gave up most of that for shaq. if they go from wade-butler-odom to jsut wade, terrible things will happen to whoever's in charge. anyway, shaq out of shape and fat is still a top nba center, although he's getting to the stage in his career where he'll need to work just to stay healthy. the way miami's acted now that shaq is there, their window is only a few seasons before these issues start causing real trouble.

I think shaq needs to grow up and just take it a year at a time. I doubt he really knows how long he will be motivated and want to play thru pain.

He can just take it a year or two at a time and get paid big. Guys like that don't retire, they want to get bought out!

That is not fair to the owner.

I think Buss did the right thing by moving him. You never get full value, and I think Kobe had some legit grips about Shaq not being in shape, not playing thru injury, geting toe surgery right before the season, etc. Im not saying its all shaq, as Kobe is immature also.

But if I am the owner, its logical to play the team until it loses, and it did, and rebuild around youth. Logic dictates you keep the young superstar.

Shaq is cool in my book and I understand his hurt also. I think while Kobe and Mitch K. are getting the heat for the trade, if its Dr. Buss, he should step up and take the heat.

On the other hand, Miami did not give up all that much and if they lose shaq, its a worthwhile gamble.

JOrdan was amicable to play it year by year when he got his 28mil and 30 mil deals back in 97-98. big big money now and very much then! But long range, its a silly contract and I doubt anyone can even come close to paying it! Shaq can deplete a teams ability to get decent players with that kind of money!

the fat bastard was making $30 mil a year for the past couple seasons & it takes the fact that he got traded & his ego damaged to motivate him to get into shape? gimme a break.