Shaquille O'Neal blog

Shaq: Rondo's a tough so and so

2010-10-04T17:22:00.000+02:00

I'm writing about Rajon Rondo for tomorrow's paper. But Shaq had some gems about dealing with Rondo a few months ago in the playoffs. You might recall -- and if you don't it's right above -- their two-car collision in Game 1 of their second round series. Doc Rivers, half-joking, called it "an assassination."

Shaq's take?

"Being the big man and being the enforcer, he was killing us," O'Neal said. "So I had to touch him up. But I knew he was a tough kid because he kept coming down there, kept coming down there. A lot of times, you touch people up they have a choice to make. 'I don’t want to get fouled by Shaq again.' Then, you’ve make them go somewhere else. But that [kid] kept coming."

More on Rondo from the Big Brinks Truck:

On how much the Cavs focused on him during the series: Before the first game, we didn’t plan for him at all. Then when he tore us a new [one] we had to plan for him.
On how he opens it up for other players: That’s what I really like about this team. You can tell that they’re unselfish because most teams’ve got one or two guys that you’ve got to get up for. You’re concentrating on Paul and Kevin and this [guy’s] getting a triple-double. And him being a smart player he just did the same thing and when we went to him, boom, he just passed the ball. Then Ray got off. Now you’ve got to concentrate on Ray. Then Ray gives it off to Kevin. Then, in the game they beat us, everybody’s getting off. That’s why I said I wouldn’t mind playing for a team like that. They don’t [care] who scores or who takes the shots.

On comparable players:He reminds me of a Nick Van Exel. Real herky-jerky with the ball. Nice handle. Can post up. He’s a great player.

Shaquille O'Neal & Shaunie Reach Divorce Settlement

2010-03-15T23:16:00.000+01:00

Basketball star Shaquille O'Neal and his wife Shaunie are finalizing the first part of the divorce proceedings. According to a popular internet source, Shaunie's Sorrell Trope, Shaq and Shaunie have reached agreement on all terms of the divorce, including property, custody and support. Under the agreement, the Florida courts will have jurisdiction to officially divorce the couple. In addition, a Florida judge will handle any issues that may arise involving property division and spousal support. In a recent interview, Shaunie had a little more to say about why she left Shaq in the first place:

Miami is a great city. It just wasn’t a great city for our marriage. I know they say L.A. has its groupies, but Miami has a different mentality. Even going to the games, the whole environment is so different. Girls are practically sitting in their bra and panties in the arena. When you’re trying to keep your husband, that’s a lot to take. It was a whole new lifestyle I wasn’t ready for. Apparently we didn’t have a strong enough foundation for Shaq to withstand that type of temptation.

Shaunie on confronting Shaq about the infidelity rumors
He would deny it sometimes, and other times he would ask, ‘You got pictures? Video? If not, don’t come at me because you have no proof.’ “He’d say, ‘Okay, you’re mad. Now what? You’re not going anywhere.

Shaunie on being accused of cheating on Shaq with her personal trainer:
I worked out at home- with my trainer, my sister, her husband and my girlfriend. I was a good girl. I wouldn’t even entertain a man flirting with me. I was that conservative. But when those rumors came out, I felt I was so small and Shaq was so big that it didn’t matter what I said; nobody was going to believe me. All I was thinking was, How could this happen to me? I had no idea how I was going to pick up the pieces. I was just done.

Shaunie on the state of her relationship with Shaq today
We are becoming friends, and it’s nice because it’s something we really lacked in our marriage. I enjoy being able to talk openly to him, and I think we both learned a lot from each other during this time.

The Shaq Effect: O'Neal delivers needed muscle as Cavaliers outduel the Lakers' big men

2009-12-28T12:47:00.000+01:00

Friday was why the Cavaliers got Shaquille O'Neal.

O'Neal finished with 11 points and seven rebounds in 22 productive minutes of the Cavaliers' 102-87 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday afternoon. But it wasn't the specifics of that line as much as the effect he had.

He was the centerpiece in a big lineup that featured him with, alternately, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Anderson Varejao, Jamario Moon and/or J.J. Hickson, the Cavs were able to neutralize the Lakers' size advantage and pretty much dominate from start to finish.

With O'Neal matching Pau Gasol's 11 points and six rebounds, the Cavs trio of O'Neal, Ilgauskas and Varejao outscored Gasol, Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom, 22-21, and outrebounded them, 25-17.

"We know we can match-up well with anybody," said O'Neal, who led the Lakers to three titles earlier this decade but was booed often Friday. "I felt it was going to be a good test for us. The Lakers are the best team in the league. They have won it before. They have a lot of experience playing together. We're still a somewhat new group. But there's no quit in this team.

"Most of the games we've lost, we've beaten ourselves. But today we came out and stepped up to the challenge and got a good win here today. We know that if we buckle up and play the way we're supposed to play, we can play with anybody."

Of course, the anybodys who concern the Cavs most are teams with big, physical inside players like the Lakers and Orlando Magic. Historically, Cleveland has struggled against such opponents. It's still early, and it's still the regular season. But this is the second time O'Neal really has made his presence felt -- and not just those toys he gave out as Shaq-A-Claus. The first time was in a 102-93 victory at Orlando on Nov. 11, when he played Dwight Howard even and led the Cavs to a big road victory.

Just like Friday.

"Shaq is a big, physical presence," coach Mike Brown said. "I don't think I've ever seen him do anything dirty, but if he's going to use a foul, you're going to feel him. Even if he's not going to foul, even if you run into him, you're going to feel him. We've experienced that before. That's definitely a positive in terms of trying to help us become a more physical defensive team.

"We had a great team and great players last year. But when you talk about Bynum and Gasol, and then coming off the bench with Odom, that's a big team. If you can, you'd like to be able to be just as big, if not bigger. That's part of the reason why we went and got Shaq. We felt that we needed to add some size and that's what we did.

"Tonight it worked. Another night it may not work. I don't know. But we do feel good about the size we've added."

Will Cleveland Cavaliers' marriage work out?

2009-11-11T16:53:00.001+01:00

Sit down, guys, and make yourselves comfortable.

I've got a big easy chair for you, Mr. O'Neal, and a cozy couch for you, Mr. James. Cup of coffee, anybody?

Please call me George. We're among friends here. We don't need this formal 'Dr. Diaz' stuff. Mi casa es su casa.

OK, then, let's get going.

I am glad you are asking for marriage counseling because it shows you guys care about each other and are willing to sort out your problems.

Let's get to the heart of the matter: Both of you guys are alpha-dogs that don't like anyone else barking in their face. Isn't that right, Shaq?

"I'm not here to get any individual accolades. I've been in the league 17 years and I've won almost every award you can think of. It's our job to make him look good."

OK, thanks for sharing. But can I say something here, Big Fella? You haven't been the best domestic partner in the NBA, have you?

You had a feud with Penny Hardaway here in Orlando, had some infamous run-ins with Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles, and even made a raunchy video rapping your disdain for Mr. Bryant. "How does my [expletive] taste?" My, my, you are a potty-mouth, aren't you Mr. O'Neal?

This is a reason why so many people are thinking out loud whether this arranged marriage is a good deal for the Cavaliers. Will they be able to bust through the Devil's Triangle that connects Orlando, Boston and Cleveland as the dominant franchises in the East?

Jawai's bulk will be needed against Shaq

2009-11-01T16:57:00.000+01:00

LeBron James arrives early this season for his lone Target Center appearance, tonight against the Timberwolves.

And this time, for the first time, he's bringing Shaquille O'Neal with him.

Such special occasions sometimes require new approaches, which is why Wolves coach Kurt Rambis plans to introduce newly acquired Nathan Jawai 10 days after he was obtained from Dallas in a bit of salary-cap bookkeeping.

The Wolves traded a very conditional future second-round pick for Jawai and some of Mavericks owner Mark Cuban's plentiful cash in a transaction for a young, raw prospect who possibly can provide a team that's otherwise either undersized (Kevin Love, Al Jefferson) or lanky (Ryan Hollins) up front with some needed bulk.

In Jawai's native Australia, he has been dubbed "Baby Shaq" simply because, like O'Neal, he's a big fella: Approaching 6-10 and probably 300 pounds.

On these shores, that has been modified to the Australian Shaq.

"Or Outback Shaq," teammate Ryan Gomes said. "I've heard that one, too."

Just don't call him any of those things to his face.

"Don't call me that name again," Jawai said Thursday as the undefeated Wolves (1-0) prepared for the winless Cavaliers (0-2). "I hate that name. That's not my name. That guy is a future Hall of Famer, so why compare me to him? I don't know, people in Australia started calling me that. We don't have similar games. He's more of a scorer. He's a dominant force."

O'Neal also is at least three inches taller and a good 40 pounds heavier or more.

"Go ask him yourself," Jawai said when asked how much height and weight he might give up against O'Neal. "I'm big, but I'm not even as big as him. I've stood next to him. I'm not his size. We have different games. People who know basketball know we're totally different."

Jawai was inactive for the Wolves' inexplicable 95-93 comeback victory over New Jersey in their season opener on Wednesday, but Rambis suggested Thursday there could be a time and a place to play Jawai tonight against O'Neal and a Cavaliers team that has opened the season with a home loss to Boston and a road one at Toronto.

"That has been given strong consideration, yes," Rambis said.

For more than a week, assistant coach Bill Laimbeer has drilled Jawai -- a 2008 second-round pick who has been traded from Indiana to Toronto to Dallas to Minnesota since then -- on low-post maneuvers.

Now, apparently, he is ready.

Or at least needed.

"He has been a pleasant surprise for the entire coaching staff," Rambis said. "He's very light on his feet for a big man, and he has something that we don't have on this team: somebody with some tremendous size and strength. He's got good basketball instincts and high basketball IQ. He can jump. He's quick. He's a project, but he's an exciting project."

Jawai was diagnosed last season with an enlarged heart that sidelined him until the Raptors cleared him to play. He also needs to lose some weight -- 10 pounds or more -- to get him into the 285-pound range.

"I haven't weighed him, he hasn't stepped on me yet," Rambis said. "It's hard to carry a lot of weight in this league. There's so much pounding on your joints. It's just not conducive to a long career. That's how you end up getting hurt."

Jawai is one option on a night when the Wolves will throw a list of defenders at both James and O'Neal, who was acquired from Phoenix last summer in a move intended to bring James a title and keep him happy in Cleveland when free agency calls next summer.

"Shaq changes them a lot," Gomes said. "Now you have to honor both of them. They're still learning how to play with each other. Once they learn that ..."

Until then, who would have imagined the Wolves would be undefeated and the Cavaliers winless after losses to Boston and Toronto, even this early in the season?

"He probably won't be too happy," Rambis said about James' mood tonight. "He also has been around long enough and been the leader of a team long enough and in the playoffs long enough to know it's a long season. The reality is most people won't even remember how you start off a season."

Rewards greater than risks

2009-07-04T12:39:00.000+02:00

"The major challenges folks mention about adding Shaquille O'Neal to the Cavaliers do not seem to be challenges in the eyes of the Cavs.

The first says that LeBron James won't be able to get to the basket with Shaq's big body clogging the paint.

I don't quite understand this one. Did Dwyane Wade have a problem driving when O'Neal was with the Miami Heat?

It will take some adjustment, yes, because James has never played with such a massive low-post presence.

But nobody in the league has better basketball savvy than James, so any adjustment seems less consequential than it's being made to be.

Too, O'Neal's presence gives James a rather hefty option if teams double him.

Think back to Game 7 in Boston in 2008. James set up Ben Wallace for a dunk in the final minutes with the game in the balance. Wallace threw the ball outside to Delonte West for a 3-pointer, which he missed.

Shaq is probably going to dunk that ball - with force.

The team simply must handle the other challenge, and that is to keep O'Neal healthy and ready for the playoffs. It would do no good to win 60 games with him if he's burned out in May and June.

Nobody doubts that the Cavs will have to strive to make it work with two players with mega-watt star power on their team.

Home games could be nightly festivals, road trips like the journeys of a rock band. Imagine the team plane with James and O'Neal chattering throughout the flight.

''Both guys are good guys; both guys like each other,'' Cavs coach Mike Brown said. ''Both guys will be happy to play with one another. And the most important thing is they have one common goal - those things are the things that are going to make this work.

''Because they're competitive, because they have that one common goal . . .I think that will help this relationship and make this journey work.

''Only time will tell as we go along how it all meshes out.''

There is risk and reward to every trade. In this case, there was minimal risk. The players the Cavs traded were going to retire (Wallace) or not be a major contributor (Sasha Pavlovic).

O'Neal could average 18 and eight like he did a year ago, and the Cavs would benefit.

He also could fall apart from age, though that seems unlikely.

Given the low risk and possible reward, it was a move that needed to be made.

All Shaq, all the time"

Shaq slapped with temporary restraining order

2008-08-23T13:07:00.000+02:00

It’s been a controversial summer for Shaquille O’Neal.

He has been caught on YouTube for disparaging former teammate Kobe Bryant during an impromptu rap performance. Then came news that he wanted to reconcile with his wife, Shaunie, whom he divorced in 2007.

Now, the Suns center has been slapped with a temporary restraining order by hip hot artist Alexis Miller – known professionally as Maryjane – the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported today.

Miller filed the restraining order in Atlanta with Fulton County Superior Court, alleging that O’Neal stalked her, threatened her with bodily harm and made harassing phone calls in which he breathed heavily into the phone before hanging up.

The Journal Constitution reported that Miller, 23, claimed she ended an intimate relationship with O’Neal last month. She alleged he then threatened to pay performers $50,000 each not to work with her.

“It’s been very difficult for her,” L. David Wolfe, Miller’s Atlanta-based attorney, told the Journal Constitution. “Her fears are not only for herself but also the people around her.” He said Miller, who has a young son, is “pretty traumatized.”

Wolfe said O’Neal, 36, still had not been served the legal paperwork as of early Friday afternoon. O’Neal’s agent, Perry Rogers, did not return three phone messages from the Journal Constitution left at his office Friday afternoon. Officials with the Suns couldn’t be reached for comment.

Under terms of the temporary restraining order, O’Neal is prohibited from having any contact or coming within 200 yards of Miller or her 19-month-old son. O’Neal, who resides in Florida, is not the father of the child, Wolfe said.

Both parties are scheduled to appear before Fulton County Superior Court Judge Karen Woodson on Sept. 4 to determine whether the restrictions should remain.

Some bad words about Shaq :-/

2008-07-23T09:39:00.001+02:00

Let's play a little game: I'll describe an athlete's childish body of work, franchise-wrecking ego and bullying ways. Then you tell me who the jerk is.He has bad-mouthed three franchises in his rush out their doors, leaving a trail of dismantled hopes and awful messes to clean up.Nope, not Terrell Owens.He has been an equal-opportunity whiner throughout his career, running off small-name coaches and ripping Hall of Fame ones.
Nope, not Randy Moss.His ego landed him in a firestorm that his media chums, public-relations charm and championship rings can't seem to douse.Nope, not Roger Clemens.Which brings us, uncomfortably, to the correct answer: Shaquille O'Neal. Does that change anything? Doesn't it make you re-examine everything?Oh, he's not a lost cause. Yet. A public sense of outrage hasn't overtaken O'Neal's sense of humor. Yet. He is still seen as fun and funny, personable and a personality, the celebrity that stars want to hang with and the athlete that kids make a wish to be with.For now.He gets all benefit of the doubt because he's Shaquille O'Neal. Anyone else gets beat up for doing what he continues to do. He has dumped on franchises that made him rich, coaches that backed him up, even the littles who can't fight back. Come on, Chris Quinn? Ron Culp?This week brought the latest inanity, overplayed and over the top, that spoke to the public nuisance O'Neal is becoming.If you missed it, well, congratulations. You live a life far beyond the reach of modern television and public sports discussion. It involved O'Neal at a club, freestyle rapping about his former Lakers teammate, Kobe Bryant.There was a time, early in O'Neal's Heat tenure, that team President Pat Riley told him to shut up about the Lakers and Bryant. It was immature. It was unprofessional. It was, well, Shaq being Shaq. But it never crossed the line of bad taste.This rapping on video did. It painted him less the comedian and more the cartoon. Some family-legible lines go:"Check it, you know how I be,Kobe, you can't do without me."And:"I'm a horse, Kobe ratted me out,That's why I'm getting divorced,He said Shaq gave a [woman] a mil,I don't do that 'cause my name's Shaquille."O'Neal reacted like he always does. "It was all done in fun," he said.Question: Is anyone laughing?Look, I enjoyed the first two years of O'Neal with the Heat as much as anyone. In the snippets we see of any athlete, he was engaging and entertaining. He was a force in the middle at times, too. Trading for him was worth every inch of trouble he became. The Heat got a title. It sold out the building three years. There will be no revisionism there.But how do you weigh his rings against the pain he's caused? The ugly exits from Orlando, Los Angeles and now the Heat. The coaches he has sacrificed for his ego. And now this latest, silliest nonsense. Just where is O'Neal taking his legacy?He isn't a big mouth with no rings like Chad Johnson. He hasn't been caught as a five-star phony like Clemens. He looks most like Bill Murray in the movie Scrooged. Isn't it time O'Neal got an intervention from the Ghost of Ty Cobb before it's too late?In the end, all you leave with is your name. Everything else is an adjective. Ask rich Mark McGwire or champion Roger Clemens. It's hard to believe O'Neal could screw up his name. But he has tried awfully hard through his grand career, hasn't he?

Riley expects Shaq to return to team Sunday

2008-01-11T19:33:00.000+01:00

Heat center Shaquille O'Neal had his first treatment on his bothersome left hip Tuesday in Los Angeles and coach Pat Riley expects him back with the team Sunday.

"The initial reports of the testing and things like that have been positive," Riley said.

An MRI exam Monday showed inflammation and soft tissue damage and treatments began Tuesday. He will have more treatment Thursday and Saturday in Los Angeles before returning home.

O'Neal, who has bursitis, missed his sixth straight game Tuesday. He was injured when diving for a loose ball on Dec. 22 against Utah. He aggravated the injury four days later against Philadelphia and has not started since.

O'Neal was bothered by soreness in his right hip early in the season but started the first 29 games.

Mark Blount, who began the season as the Heat's third-string center behind O'Neal and Alonzo Mourning, started his fourth consecutive game Tuesday.

"Without Zo and Shaq we'll occasionally dump it down to Mark or dump it down to Udonis (Haslem), or, occasionally, myself or Ricky, but it's a totally different ballgame," Dwyane Wade said. "It's a style that we are comfortable with, and we've been in every game with, it's just a style we've got to stay with down the stretch."

Wright not ready: Forward Dorell Wright returned to the team Tuesday but missed his fourth straight game with a sprained left ankle.

Wright was limping badly after the morning shootaround Tuesday. He tested his ankle again before the game, but decide he could not play.

Meanwhile, Riley will stick with Chris Quinn as the starting point guard, for now, as Jason Williams regains his conditioning. Williams missed five games because of inflammation in his left knee before playing 15 minutes Saturday at Memphis.

"Ever since he got hurt he really just rested," Riley said. "He couldn't do any shooting. Memphis was the first basketball he had. He's rusty. (We'll) bring him back slowly."

Misery loves company: Riley compares what the Timberwolves are experiencing to the Heat of 2001-02 through 2003-04. Those teams won 36, 25 and 42 games, rebuilding with Caron Butler in 2002-03 before adding Wade and free agent Lamar Odom the next season.

Minnesota won 33 and 32 games the past two seasons and is on a pace to win just 10 this year but has three good young players: Al Jefferson, Randy Foye and former Florida star Corey Brewer.

"It's a very difficult process to go through," Riley said. "We went through it for two years and we got Caron Butler and Dwyane Wade in the draft and Lamar Odom in free agency and we were able to turn it around in 16 months. You have to have a lot of patience."

O'Neal files for divorce from wife of five years

2007-09-15T15:47:00.000+02:00

Heat center Shaquille O'Neal has filed for divorce in Miami-Dade Circuit Court from Shaunie, his wife of five years and a constant at his side during the three seasons he has spent in South Florida.

"She was served today," said Ira Elegant, O'Neal's Coral Gables-based attorney.

The couple, Elegant confirmed, has a Cohabitation/Prenuptial Agreement and Acknowledgment of Property Disclosure and Waiver of Further Disclosure.

The O'Neals have four children together — Me'Arah, 1; Shaqir, 4; Amirah, 5; and Shareef, 7. Each also has a child from a previous relationship.

The O'Neals own the Star Island home in Miami Beach that was previously owned by former Heat center Rony Seikaly. That house has been on the market since January.

The O'Neals have worked on several charitable projects since the center's trade to the Heat in 2004, and this past season hosted the annual charity weekend put together by coach Pat Riley and his wife, Chris. They rode side-by-side in the team's 2006 NBA championship parade down Biscayne Boulevard.

According to People magazine, the Heat center, then with the Lakers, and Shaunie wed in 2002, in a private ceremony before 248 guests at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

Several times over the past two years the Heat center has mentioned the possibility of moving to Broward, having looked into properties in the Harbor Beach and Lighthouse Point areas. Each time, he spoke of the need for ample space for his family. The couple also owns an expansive estate in the Orlando area.

Elegant said O'Neal has not been residing recently at the Star Island property. "To my knowledge he is not," he said.

Shaquille O'Neal, 35, earns $20 million per season from the Heat, with that contract having three seasons remaining. His endorsement earnings are similar.

Elegant said he has not heard from the attorneys for Shaunie O'Neal, 32.

"She has merely been served today and there is nothing more than we have filed," he said.

I apologize...

2007-08-03T23:28:00.000+02:00

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Shaq is 'Sure' Riley will return as coach

2007-06-02T20:05:00.000+02:00

With his season ending unusually early, Shaquille O'Neal has kept busy traveling (Las Vegas recently), spending time with family, publicizing his new ABC reality show and turning up the thermostat for his regular yoga sessions.
Shaq opined on a few issues during a phone conversation:
• Though O'Neal has been given no assurances and Pat Riley remains noncommittal publicly, O'Neal said he feels ''sure'' Riley will coach next season and that ''it's important'' Riley do so. O'Neal said Riley told players after the season that he ''will be here for the next five years'' -- though Riley, 62, didn't specify whether it would be as coach, president or both titles.
• He said none of the conference finalists is better than the Heat. ``Cleveland was in the right bracket. This year was a bad-luck year.''
• So what's the deal with the yoga? ''Just to be flexible, to get limber. In my 15 years, I've never stretched before games. This is the first time I'' will.
• On returning to past dominance: ``If they want me to put up the big numbers, I have to get the big shots . . . [Then] make sure I touch the rock. I shot [nearly] 60 percent.''
But O'Neal said he won't ask Riley for more touches. ``I'm a very unselfish player. We don't have a problem with our offense.''
• On the notion that this season will give him extra motivation: ``I don't really need motivation because my mission has always been to get as many championships as I can so I can take two steps to the Hall of Fame. I'm 10 steps away now.''
• He said he would be happy to recruit free agents if Riley asks, but won't suggest personnel moves.
• One frustration this season was ``we never got to develop our own style. You have to be able to play both styles [running and half court], like San Antonio.''
• He said he will finish out the last three years of his contract (worth $60 million): ``I'm not going anywhere.''
• O'Neal's reality show, Shaq's Big Challenge, runs six consecutive Tuesdays on ABC, beginning at 9 p.m. June 26. O'Neal and specialists help six obese middle school students from Florida become healthy and fit.
''I always wanted to do a Shaq's challenge-type show,'' he said. ``Childhood obesity is a big problem. Only 6 percent of schools in America have mandatory P.E. It's an inactive society.''

Riley setting the record straight

2007-05-13T19:47:00.000+02:00

Shaquille O'Neal said Thursday that the Heat told him he won't be traded and he will finish his career with the team. But he might need to begin next season temporarily without Dwyane Wade.
Coach Pat Riley said Wade -- who needs surgery on his left knee and likely on his left shoulder -- will have a procedure on one, and possibly both, next week. Riley was noncommittal about whether Wade will be ready for the start of next season and mentioned the possibility of a six-month recovery, which could stretch into the first two weeks of the regular season.
''We'd like to have everybody ready for training camp,'' Riley said. ``But when you're talking about some surgeries that might take six months, then you can't put a timetable on it, and I won't do it.''
Riley said the knee is the more ''pressing'' of the two injuries and the one Wade ''may address first'' surgically.
O'Neal, who has three years left on his contract at $20 million per season, became the subject of trade speculation this week when Chicago Tribune columnist Sam Smith suggested the Heat might move O'Neal and offered a hypothetical scenario involving Dallas.
That prompted Riley to contact O'Neal. ''I called him and said that's not happening, so get on with your yoga,'' Riley said. ``He's doing yoga, which I like.
``The last thing on our mind right now is to trade him. We want to try to put players around him. Shaq has made this franchise matter. We won a world championship with Shaquille. He's been very good for business and the community. We don't want him to think [he might be traded].''
O'Neal disputed the perception that he believes the regular season doesn't matter -- a perspective Riley has said he won't accept from players.
''I said it didn't matter, but I didn't mean it didn't matter,'' O'Neal said. ``I meant you can win 70, 80 games, but if things are not done correctly, you won't win. . . . Look what happened to Dallas. If you're not prepared in the playoffs, you won't win.''
Riley tried to clarify his recent remark that if O'Neal ''wants to give back $10 million and play half a season, that's fine.'' Riley said he was referring to the ''perception historically'' of O'Neal's viewpoint and added that O'Neal ``comes in shape, stays in shape, wants to win and works hard.''
Smith also wrote that O'Neal encouraged teammates not to play defense so that his defensive shortcomings wouldn't be exposed. O'Neal's reaction?
''Obviously, Sam is the type of guy that hides behind his pen and pad,'' he said. ``I promise you he wouldn't say that to my face in a dark alley where it's just me and him and no witnesses.''

It's Riley's job to budge O'Neal

2007-05-05T23:06:00.000+02:00

See you on the sidelines, Pat Riley.Riley did not commit to returning as the Heat coach Wednesday. He committed only to a return to the hard, old Heat way, the way of responsibility and accountability.Which way?"Mine," Riley said.So, if that's the culture he wants, that's whose responsibility it is to compel the change:His.Just as Riley realized the mistake of attempting to meet his listless players halfway, he should recognize it would be equally foolish to take the halfway approach to the re-indoctrination process.He must coach the team next season.He must serve as the bridge to the next Heat era, smoothing the transition of primary influence from a slipping superstar to an ascendant one, helping to make this Dwyane Wade's team on and off the court. He must adjust the overall attitude sufficiently that someone like Erik Spoelstra (a Wade favorite) would have a fair shot upon someday taking control. He must create the conditions that convince Wade to stay a Heat player for life.He must coach, even though he has sometimes enjoyed better success as a personnel evaluator when not simultaneously serving on the sidelines, and even if the thought of the grind makes him queasy.The formidable presence of Shaquille O'Neal leaves him little choice.Riley must coach.His only other choice is to trade O'Neal, and that's not happening. While no longer an irresistible force, O'Neal represents an immovable object, due to age, salary and a short list of acceptable landing spots. New York? Maybe, to fill the Garden again. Dallas? Only if Mark Cuban got irrationally desperate after a first-round exit.So O'Neal stays. The Heat has experienced the perks of Diesel power. O'Neal energized the fan base while occupying sufficient attention to free Wade to emerge. Yet as O'Neal starts to run (or jog) on fumes, he stands as an impediment as much as an asset.He is an impediment stylistically, as he ages and the Heat tries to compete with more athletic, free-flowing opponents. He is an impediment transitionally, his presence preventing Wade from taking total control of this environment. He is an attitudinal impediment most of all.It's no secret who sets the corrosive flip-the-switch tone."He admitted to me, `Coach, you came halfway, I agree, and we didn't come and meet you,''' Riley said. "And he said `we.'''If Riley plans to fulfill his promise to monitor attitude more closely this season, the prime surveillance spot is neither a house in Malibu nor an office in Miami. It's the practice floor, locker room and sideline.Riley still has the best chance of any coach to reach O'Neal. He understands O'Neal's obsession with legacy, speaking Wednesday about how O'Neal "wants to go out favorably," and relating that O'Neal was "very depressed" about the sweep."But he also knows that his influence on his teammates and the fact that he wants to end his career illuminated, then he's going to have to lead by real example," Riley said.That, to Riley, isn't about big numbers. It is about supporting the coach, doing the work, setting the tone, with body language as well as words, from the bus to the court."Shaq's good at this," Riley said. "He lifts players up. But the leadership is going to have to be strong."Leadership also entails knowing when to let another lead.Making O'Neal understand that will require Riley's strong leadership. Riley must do the delicate work of steering this team toward Wade, who is more pliable and, when healthy, more physically capable to respond to the challenge.Riley said Wednesday that Wade was "hurting" emotionally and didn't like the way the season ended. Expect Wade to return inspired.Few observers liked the way this Heat team handled itself from start to finish. Remember, after Stan Van Gundy's 2004-05 squad fell a game short of the Finals, Riley also spoke of the need to instill more of the old Heat culture. And that Van Gundy team embodied the correct culture far more than this last Riley one did. After allowing the culture to corrode on his watch, Riley is responsible for doing the hard, hands-on repair work.That would be a show of accountability for every player to follow.

Is this the end?

2007-04-29T18:57:00.000+02:00

This ends soon for the Heat - if not Sunday afternoon in AmericanAirlines Arena, then almost certainly Tuesday night in the United Center in Chicago - and it ends ignominiously.
Whenever it does conclude, Heat coach Pat Riley needs to win an argument with himself. He needs to talk himself into quitting.
Don't be mistaken.
This isn't a call for Riley's dismissal. Not at all.
This is a suggestion that Riley once and for all should get away from coaching and tend solely to his duties as team president. He should give in to the fatigue accompanying the relentless monotony of the courtside job. Riley has done so, memorably, on previous occasion in Miami and elsewhere, but he should make it stick this time. He should retreat to his president's office and set about undertaking single-minded reconstruction of the Heat.
Riley, for my money, remains among the upper echelon of NBA bench bosses. He's willful. He's tough. He's smart. He's a leader. He still makes a considerable difference on any sideline he patrols, and the Heat team Riley built and led to a championship a season ago will stand forever in franchise history as documentation of his formidable presence and influence.
But the best thing Riley could do for himself and the team now is to infuse it with a new and young-blooded coach of his own choosing, whose lack of familiarity with Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade would provide the Heat with the clean slate it needs.
Riley's exhaustion is showing, and the 3-0 hole Miami is standing in against Chicago in a best-of-seven Eastern Conference first-round series has exacerbated the wear.
Last season took a lot out of Riley, and hardly has this season - complete with his prolonged absence because of hip surgery - reinvigorated him.
"Last year was the hardest season I ever had," said Riley, 62, who has coached all or parts of 23 seasons in the NBA, after practice Saturday afternoon. "I took over and never got up to speed. There was no planning. I spent seven weeks trying to talk Stan (former coach Van Gundy) out of quitting."
Now, can he talk himself into doing so?
"When the season's over, I'll address a lot of things," Riley said.
The Heat has a still-young superstar in Wade, yet there's precious little vibrancy to the team. That's in part a representation of Riley's surrender to O'Neal's increasing frailties. O'Neal requires more and more physical protection each year, and there's a widespread residual emotional effect on everyone around him as he's accommodated.
Ask yourself: Isn't the Heat's on-court style and off-court demeanor much more reflective of Riley and O'Neal than it is of Wade?
Now, ask yourself: Isn't it time for that dynamic to change?
Hand over the keys
Age, as the Heat is discovering against the Bulls, isn't playing well this time around.
O'Neal isn't going anywhere, but Riley, by concentrating only on duties as team president, could begin the process of transforming the Heat into a group that better fits Wade's talents and, sure, even his sensibilities.
Wade, for his part, calls Riley "top of the line" and has enjoyed his guidance.
Riley and O'Neal have done their best to give Wade room to grow both as a player and a person. But there comes a time when providing room to grow isn't enough. There comes a time when someone like Wade - a great player and an emerging identity not just for the Heat, but for the game - needs a space all his own.
Nobody should understand such a thing better than Riley and O'Neal, who long ago secured iconic stature with their multiple championships.
Riley, though, is the one who best can facilitate a transformation of the Heat, because he's the one who can be director without being coach. He's the one who can be the merchant of change, and, hey, it has occurred to him before - once right here in Miami - that the best place for change to start is in the coach's chair he occupies.
Riley stepped away from the Heat bench previously when he handed the team to Van Gundy, remember? Maybe he decided he wanted it back or maybe he's telling the truth about having tried to convince Van Gundy to stay.
Doesn't matter. Old news.
Doesn't matter in this instance, either, that Riley took the Heat to the title in relief of Van Gundy.
What matters is the state of the team, which is awash with questions.
Riley stayed the course with much the same group of players that won the championship, and it didn't work out. If such a result wasn't 44-38 predictable during the regular season, neither should it have come as a shock. And though Miami's first-round playoff predicament is startling, it also might have been expected, considering how disjointed the season was with significant injuries to Wade and O'Neal added to Riley's surgery.
It all seems to have caught up to the Heat.
"I don't want to make that assessment right now," Riley said. "I really don't. I think everybody knows what it is and what the adversities were. We overcame a number of them, and that's where we are. That's how we got to this point. It isn't the best situation, because continuity is really what makes a team consistent. But that's what we had to deal with."
A new start will be required.
It should be a dramatic one Riley can make happen by winning an argument with himself.

Shaq & Dwyane 2gether again

2007-04-24T14:30:00.000+02:00

Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O'Neal will be in the starting lineup together tonight against the Bulls for just the fourth time since the All-Break.
Understandably, they're chemistry continues to be a work in progress.
Wade said there are times when he's uncertain how aggressive he needs to be offensively when he and O'Neal are on the court. Wade deferred to O'Neal early in Game 1, and O'Neal responded with 10 points in the first quarter and 17 in the first half before he was limited by foul trouble.
Wade scored nine of his 21 points in the fourth quarter of Saturday's 96-91 loss to the Bulls. Injuries throughout the season have prevented Wade (wrist, shoulder) and O'Neal (knee, calf) from spending much time together on the court. The two have combined to miss 70 games because of injuries.
Wade said he would rather get O'Neal going early and rely on his own offense late in games. Finding that balance has been difficult at times.
''It's something I go through back and forth,'' Wade said. ``I try not to be too aggressive [early]. I try to be patient. When it's time to be aggressive, be aggressive. But that's not the easiest thing in the world. I feel like I can get a shot at any time.''
At times, O'Neal has questioned why his role in the offense diminishes late in games, particularly when he's not in foul trouble. There were several games late in the regular season when O'Neal was effective and aggressive in the first half and nearly nonexistent in the fourth quarter. O'Neal said one problem was that perimeter players were settling for too many long jumpers.
''I'm very unselfish, so when I kick it out, we have to mix it up more,'' said O'Neal, who attempted just four field goals in the second half Saturday. ``They [Bulls] were jamming the post, and I really don't like to force shots. We have to do a better job, whether that's kicking it back in or hitting open shots.''
Heat coach Pat Riley said O'Neal continues to get plenty of ''touches'' throughout the game and disputes that the offense gradually shifted away from him in Game 1.
''He had 38 touches in 24 minutes,'' Riley said. ``We're running out whole offense through him. You can say whatever you want to say. He's the guy that brought us here, that's helped us get a championship, that's made us what we are.''

Shaq leads Heat

2007-03-30T19:39:00.000+02:00

They're back on track, thanks to Shaq.
After stumbling to back-to-back losses, the Heat rediscovered its winning ways Monday, defeating the Atlanta Hawks 106-89 at AmericanAirlines Arena.
With the victory the Heat (38-32) took over first place in the Southeast Division for the first time this season, a half game ahead of Washington (37-32). The Wizards lost to the Utah Jazz 103-97.
Center Shaquille O'Neal set the tone for the Heat in both performance and attitude. He was aggressive, recording a team-high 22 points and 11 rebounds. And despite being fouled hard numerous times and shooting some hard glares toward the Hawks, O'Neal said he never got frustrated by what turned into a questionable tactic.
"If I get frustrated you'll know because there'll be another brawl," he said.
"It just shows how the other opponent quits. Can't stop him. Foul him."
O'Neal, who was 42.8 percent from the line coming into the game, hit 12 of his 20 free throws Monday, establishing season highs for free throws made and attempted. He left the Hawks wondering how to defend him.
"I'm like the Pythagorean theorem; by the time you figure me out it's too late," said O'Neal, who passed Reggie Miller for 12th in career scoring with 25,291 points.
Joking aside, the 7-foot-1, 325-pound O'Neal did take exception to getting whacked in the head a couple of times, and it was then when he shot the icy glares toward Atlanta players. Everyone noticed.
"Thank God Shaquille has a certain countenance and demeanor about him he didn't really hurt somebody," Riley said. "I thought some of the fouls were pretty hard fouls."
But they turned out to be beneficial.
Miami, which entered the game ranked second to last in the NBA in free-throw shooting at 70.1 percent, finished 32-for-45 from the line (71.1), tying its season high in attempts. Miami attempted more than three times as many free throws as Atlanta, which finished 11-for-14 from the line.
The Heat's offense, which has been inconsistent recently, got big contributions from forward James Posey (19 points) and guards Jason Williams (14 points) and Eddie Jones (13 points, nine rebounds).
Miami took an early 15-4 lead and watched it dwindle to 57-52 by halftime.
But the Heat came out strong in the third quarter, taking a 63-53 lead while allowing Atlanta to get within single digits only once after that.
"We needed this one to get our feet back under us a little bit," Posey said. "It's a boost, because we're about to go on the road and need to take it to another level."
The Heat, which has an off day today, can afford to look at the big picture. It has 12 games remaining - including seven on the road.
Miami has a big week with games at Toronto (Wednesday), at Minnesota (Friday) and at Detroit (Sunday). And it still has its eye on the winning the division.
But there's still no timetable for guard Dwyane Wade's return from his dislocated shoulder and torn labrum, although Riley hinted it might be about two weeks.
"If it can happen where he can come back and play you want to have at least, I would say, three or four games under your belt and a good week of practice," Riley said.
Riley also said forward Jason Kapono, the league leader in three-point percentage, might return sometime next week.
Kapono has a sprained left ankle and bone bruise.

Shaquille foul trouble solution

2007-03-24T20:18:00.000+01:00

Shaquille O'Neal has a solution that might keep him out of the foul trouble that has recently limited his play.
''I told myself a long time ago when it gets like this, I'm just going to stop playing defense,'' O'Neal, a 7-1, 325-pound center, said. ``Every time I touch somebody, [referees] are going to call something. So I have to go back to my mantra. Just stand there.''
As imposing of a presence O'Neal would still be if he stood in place on the court, it's not exactly what coach Pat Riley had in mind when he suggested O'Neal tweak his approach to stay in the game. Foul trouble has limited O'Neal to an average of 26.1 minutes in his past six games.
He played only 21 minutes during Wednesday's victory in Atlanta. But the Heat might need court time from O'Neal tonight to get past the Indiana Pacers, who are 29-5 at home against Miami.
''We've talked about this. There are times when he's in foul trouble that he's got to back off,'' Riley said. ``He's almost got to give up a layup. I know he doesn't want to do that.''
O'Neal's foul trouble hasn't affected his efficiency on offense. He is shooting 55 percent from the field and 61 percent from the free-throw line during the past six games.
The Heat's backup centers also have raised their level of play to compensate for O'Neal's extended stays on the bench. Alonzo Mourning scored 16 off the bench in a March 11 victory over the Wizards, when O'Neal played 18 minutes.
Udonis Haslem moved to center and had 21 points in a March 15 victory at New Jersey after O'Neal was limited to 22 minutes. Michael Doleac played nearly all of the third quarter Wednesday night and had 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting.
''I have faith in all of those guys,'' O'Neal said. ``When I'm in the game, I try to get them going, get them into a rhythm, and then I go to work. But I know I have to be smarter.''

O'Neal powers Heat to 8 in a row

2007-03-16T17:03:00.000+01:00

All Heat center Shaquille O'Neal wanted was a chance.So he waited through a foul-filled first half.
Refreshed and rested, he then made the Nets pay in the third quarter of what turned into a 93-86 Heat victory Thursday night at Continental Airlines Arena.Limited to 51/2 minutes in the first half, including just 30 seconds in the second quarter, O'Neal did everything but hit foul shots in the third period, as the Heat pushed to a nine-point lead on the way to extending its winning streak to eight."There is no doubt he definitely changed the game for us," coach Pat Riley said."We're a different team with him out there."Showing everything from an up-and-under reverse layup, which he termed his "dipsy-doo-doo," to a feathery jump hook, O'Neal scored 12 of his 19 points in the third to help turn a 45-43 halftime deficit into a 68-60 lead entering the final period."Due to flopping, I didn't do anything," O'Neal said of his first half. "I was upset. I felt they tried to limit me, whoever `they' may be."But then O'Neal got going."They tried to limit me, but they couldn't," he said. "I said to myself, `Third quarter, I have to do what I do.'"Once O'Neal got going, the Heat seized control, thanks to timely 3-pointers from forward Antoine Walker and guards Gary Payton and Jason Williams, as well as a jumper from forward James Posey off an inbounds pass with one second left on the shot clock."These guys, they're not afraid," Riley said of his perimeter players stepping forward when needed most on otherwise uneven shooting nights.And then, when the game needed to be decided, O'Neal did just that with a short jump hook with 1:07 to play, putting the Heat up by four.O'Neal entered in a playful mood, joking about how the NBA is experiencing the end of an era as his career winds down."I'm un-emulate-able," he said. "I took the files and deleted them, ate 'em, used 'em in the bathroom, flushed it into the sewage plant and blew the sewage plant up. So there's no way my style can be copied. It's gone."Yet, when Thursday's game turned, the best of O'Neal was all on full display.The power game, in fact, proved decisive for the Heat, with power forward Udonis Haslem leading the way with 21 points and 12 rebounds and backup center Alonzo Mourning contributing 11 points and six rebounds. O'Neal, Haslem and Mourning were a combined 20 of 30 from the field, dominating the Nets' power rotation of Jason Collins, Mikki Moore and Josh Boone.With his 11 points, Mourning is now 24 from passing Glen Rice for the franchise's all-time scoring lead. But it was Haslem's effort that was critical early while O'Neal was in foul trouble."In a situation like mine," Haslem said, "you pick your spots. Tonight, I was making good choices."With Williams controlling the tempo with 12 assists, the Heat made it 16 victories in its last 20 games, as it continued to flourish despite the injury absences of guard Dwyane Wade and forward Jason Kapono.The Nets did their part as well, as they closed the season series 1-3 against the team that has eliminated them in each of the past two postseasons.With teammates Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson struggling from the field on combined 10-of-30 shooting, Kidd found the impact of his nine points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds limited.Despite taking a 13-game home winning streak into tonight's game against Sacramento, the Heat entered in need of a road statement, having lost four of its previous five away from AmericanAirlines Arena."We have to just keep moving along," Riley said.

Shaquille O'Neal pictures, photos and wallpapers

2007-01-21T13:53:00.000+01:00

It's best that I just give you the links to best sites with Shaquille's picture, wallpaper and photo galleries, isn't it :)?

http://www.starpulse.com/Athletes/ONeal,_Shaquille/Pictures/
http://www.eforu.com/Celebrity/S/Shaquille_O'Neal.html
http://www.celebrity-link.com/c7/showcelebrity_categoryid-714.html
http://photohome.com/photos/celebrity-pictures/nba-pictures/shaq-oneal-1.html

Returning from injury

2007-01-18T00:30:00.001+01:00

Shaquille O'Neal has vowed not to resume playing for the Miami Heat until his surgically repaired left knee is "1,000 percent."He's almost there. O'Neal went through an entire practice on Wednesday, his first time playing full-court, five-on-five since the Nov. 19 procedure to repair torn cartilage. And he could make his comeback Thursday, when the Heat host the Indiana Pacers."We'll see where I'm at in the morning, how I feel and make a decision," O'Neal said. O'Neal has missed 33 of Miami's 37 games this season -- and, largely because they've been without O'Neal, the defending NBA champions have a sluggish 17-20 record. But the Heat haven't had their full team together at any point this season, either.With O'Neal on the cusp of returning, that's about to change."He did full contact, full workout, up and down, did everything everybody did," Heat interim coach Ron Rothstein said. "This is the first time, full-team, five-on-five, up-and-down. It went good. He's got a ways to go yet, but it was encouraging."Looking fit and considerably lighter -- Heat guard Jason Kapono said O'Neal's oft-scrutinized weight is currently 235 pounds, which is probably about 90 pounds away from reality -- the 13-time All-Star center ran the floor well and was his customary physical self during practice, teammates said.If O'Neal returns on Thursday, he could face what may be a depleted Indiana roster. The Pacers swung an eight-player trade with Golden State on Wednesday afternoon, sending Al Harrington, Stephen Jackson, Sarunas Jasikevicius and Josh Powell to the Warriors for Troy Murphy, Mike Dunleavy, Ike Diogu and Keith McLeod, and it's unknown if any of the new Indiana players will be in Miami and ready to play Thursday night.Yet potential matchups are truly secondary to the Heat right now. They simply want to see O'Neal back on the floor."He looked good," backup center Earl Barron said. "He was banging around. His strength, his mobility, the way he was moving, it all looked real good."And for the first time this season, so does the Heat's medical report.Miami has endured a litany of physical issues so far this year. Point guard Jason Williams was slowed while he recovered from offseason knee surgery. Reigning NBA finals MVP Dwyane Wade has missed some time with a sprained wrist, forwards James Posey and Antoine Walker were deactivated earlier this month because they didn't meet a team-mandated body fat standard, and coach Pat Riley is out indefinitely while recovering from knee surgery and a hip replacement."If I had to pick a part of the season where we would falter, it'd be the beginning," center Alonzo Mourning said.With O'Neal set to return, it will only help Miami's fortunes, which seem to already be changing.Wade has recovered from his wrist problem and led Miami to a 4-1 record in the final five games of its Western swing. Posey and Walker are back in the fray, and Riley's recovery is reportedly going well.Getting O'Neal back will, eventually, send Mourning back to reserve status -- something he'll apparently embrace."Trust me, I'm anxiously awaiting him to come back," Mourning said. "But I want him to come back right ... and for the long haul, for the rest of the year."That's O'Neal's plan too, which is why he's being cautious. With 45 regular-season games left, he doesn't see the sense in returning before the knee is truly ready."I'm very anxious to be out there with the guys," O'Neal said. "But I want to be at 1,000 percent so I can help them and not slow down the process."

Shaquille O'Neal biography

2007-01-18T00:24:00.000+01:00

Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal was born March 6, 1972, to Joe Toney and Lucille O'Neal. His first two names combined mean "Little Warrior" in Islam. He has two sisters and a brother: Lateefah, Ayesha and Jamal. By the age of 13, O'Neal was an astonishing 6'6". Basketball scouts took notice of O'Neal at an early age, and he went to play for Louisiana State University. In 1991, O'Neal was named college Player of the Year. He was the first All-American in '91 and '92, and was taken first overall in the 1992 draft by the Orlando Magic. In his rookie season in the NBA, Shaq became the first rookie in NBA history to win the Player of the Week honors. He was named the 1993 Rookie of the Year, averaging 23.4 points per game. In 1994, Shaq was chosen to play for USA's world championship team, where he won a gold medal. At the 1996 Olympic games in Atlanta, O'Neal won another gold medal playing for his country. shaq attack The mid-'90s brought much success for O'Neal on and off the court. He and the Orlando Magic made it all the way to the NBA finals, only to lose to the Houston Rockets. He released the first of his many rap albums, titled Shaq Diesel, and took his talent to the big-screen in the film Blue Chips, opposite Nick Nolte, and Kazaam. While neither movie did tremendously well at the box office, Shaq had managed to plant his feet firmly in Hollywood and the athletic world. On July 19, 1996, Shaq and his long-time girlfriend Arnetta became parents with the birth of their daughter Teheara. After the 1995-'96 season, Shaq became a free agent. He decided to leave the Magic in favor of the glitz and glamour of Los Angeles and the Lakers. This move to the West Coast was both a financial and competitive decision. The Orlando Magic were not going to be as competitive the following season and the Lakers were trying to reach the pinnacle once more. still has magicO'Neal traded in his familiar Orlando number 32 jersey for a purple and gold number 34 (Magic Johnson's number 32 had been retired). While the Lakers dominated the regular season with Shaq, they could not make a splash in the playoffs. Before the 1999-2000 season, the Lakers hired former Bulls coach Phil Jackson in an effort to win the title. The gamble paid off as Jackson's triangle offense revolved around giving O'Neal the ball as often as they could. The Lakers won the NBA championship and O'Neal won the Finals MVP. shaquille wins with the lakersThe following season saw the emergence of O'Neal's teammate, Kobe Bryant. With Bryant and O'Neal demanding the ball in the offensive scheme, a sort of feud began between the Lakers' two superstars. As a result, the play of the Lakers suffered. Many wondered whether the Lakers could repeat as champs. But come playoff time, the feuding had subsided, as O'Neal's demand for the ball outweighed Bryant's claims. The end result was another title in 2001. shaquille joins the miami heatAfter a third NBA title, Shaquille O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat in July 2004, marking his return to Florida. On a personal note, Shaq married Shaunie Nelson on December 26, 2002.