Its a sad day for the NBA. Not only did the Miami Heat win Game 1 of the NBA Finals last night (personal bias), but Shaquille O'Neal announced his retirement this afternoon via his twitter account.
In case you were living under a rock for the last 20 years Shaq was one of the most dominant centers, if not the most dominant center the game of basketball has ever seen. At seven foot one and over 300 pounds he was an incredibly imposing force on both ends of the floor. Shaq is the holder of four championship rings, three with Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, the other one in 2006 with Dwayne Wade and the Miami Heat. He won the MVP award in 2000, and was a 15 time All-Star. He was also All-NBA First Team 8 times in his career. Shaq in a sense was the reason the breakaway rim was put into place in the NBA as old-school basketball hoops and backboards were no match for the utter force that Shaq could throw down with. For his size, O'Neal was also a fantastic athlete. He was strong, with good footwork and an ability to rise up off the floor despite his mass, both muscle and otherwise. He's fifth all-time on the NBA's scoring list and also one of, if not the best defensive center of his time.
Furthermore, O'Neal was larger than life off the court. He was a rapper, an actor (thanks for Shazam!), a personality, a philosopher, and one of the most quotable people in professional sports. Shaq has just been a fun-loving good natured guy for the NBA, whenever not feuding with Kobe Bryant, and that wasn't an issue that should overshadow his true greatness anyway.
Unfortunately, Achilles problems, along with just an entire inability to stay healthy over the past 2 seasons seems to really have been the demise of a once incredible basketball player. I think we all wish Shaq well in whatever he decides to do from here on out, I truly don't think we've really heard the last of him, even if he isn't going to lace them up and set up on the low block anymore.
What's the baseline?
Arividerchi, Big Aristotle.
