Before I continue. I’d like to firmly state that I did my best to take a considerable step back from the circus reaction to the news of Shaq going to Boston and really give him a fair chance at winning this argument. Like I said, the man did have the hugest hand on the court in bringing three more NBA titles to L.A. during a time when the league itself was looking for something magical to lean on during the post-Bulls era and also, the lockout that shortened the 1998-1999 season.
Despite all of the obvious evidence that solidifies Shaq’s place as one of the greatest and most unstoppable Lakers to ever wear the purple and gold, there are a couple of undeniable reasons that do nothing to mitigate the shocking act he has just signed and sealed on the dotted line.
The first has to do with Shaq’s erroneous behavior upon leaving the Lakers that created a gradual rift between him and Lakerland. He went from being the a player that we were all incredibly heartbroken to see go to Kobe’s number one nemesis. We all remember, “Kobe, tell me how my a** tastes”.
One of the biggest reasons why I respect Kobe so much is the fact that regardless of whatever was unraveling off the court and whatever was being said by critics, coaches and Shaq himself, Mamba always kept his mouth sealed and only worked that much harder to intensify his dedication to the game.
The aforementioned infamous performance by Shaq, ironically enough, came not too long after his now Boston Celtics had destroyed the Lakers in the 2008 NBA Finals. The Diesel can front all he wants and claim that he was “joking”, but it doesn’t take a genius to figure out the true intent behind his antics. My point is, by mocking the Laker leader and 2008 MVP Kobe, Shaq insulted the franchise as a whole when the pain and anguish of that year’s Finals loss was more than any of us could bear.
Throwing salt on our wounds? -100 right there.
The single most compelling factor against Shaq though, has nothing to do with the epic beef with Kobe. Does it have to do with him going to the Celtics? Absolutely. Does it have anything to do with fan reaction? Not quite.
Think about each and every single player whose jersey hangs from the Staples Center rafters. Collectively, they have two main elements in common. They were all irreplaceable players for the Lakers and to this day, they all share the same undying hatred for the Boston Celtics.
And I do mean hate in every sense of the word – loathe, despise, detest, spurn, take your pick.
Can you honestly say that someone like the great Jerry West could accept having a Boston Celtic player’s former Lakers jersey resting next to his, regardless of the player’s achievements during his tenure with this team?
While I’m certain that all of the legends are classy enough to take the diplomatic approach and welcome Shaq to the club, I have no doubt that their sincerity will be infinitely questionable. To be straight forward, once the sight of Shaq wearing a Celtics jersey with a cheesy smile on his face was laced all over ESPN.com, I made up my mind right then and there that…
There’s absolutely no way I can feel nostalgia over his years as a Lakers star ever again, championships or not. Like I said, this is sports and rivalries such as Lakers-Celtics burn deep enough that once you lace up your kicks for those dudes in Beantown, don’t expect acknowledgment or acceptance as one of our great players. In my mind at least, he is no longer worthy of having his jersey side by side with the likes of Big Game James.
It’s one thing if Shaq had at least shown some sort of understanding and respect towards the rivalry from L.A.’s perspective when Jimmy Kimmel asked, “Would you feel weird putting on a Celtics uniform after playing for the Lakers?”
His response? A staunch “No”. Should the Lakers retire Shaq’s number?
No.
It’s not about what The Diesel’s Laker legacy means to us anymore. At this point, I question whether or not it means anything to him.
See you in June, Shaq. I can’t wait.