Did Shaq underachieve?

[Yayo Toure]

Shaq did underachieve. He had a great career don't get me wrong, but his lack of focus and dedication to off season conditioning costed him a few titles.

If the Magic were focused in '95 they would've won the title. If he could have ever fukked around and shot 65% plus from he FT line he would've won a couple more titles.

 

[jadillac]

Yea Shaq in Orlando was lean strong and leaping out the gym while still being very physical,LA Shaq was a freight train,had he just been able to combine the 2

It woulda been a real real real problem for the league

He did combine the 2 for the first couple years in LA.

 

[FTBS]

He could've been undisputed greatest player ever.

Fixed

Shaq could have won more rings if he was willing to take pay cuts like Duncan.

But as Shaq said his ultimate goal was to be a great player and to maximize his financial earnings period.

Look at his yearly salary after the age of 29. Shaq was getting paid unbelievable amounts of money and he refused to take a pay cut except that one point in Miami to get some help. Even then he was like I ain't making less than 20 mill.

Shaq was a hired gun plan and simple and he was gonna get paid no matter what.

This a brotha who contract wise almost made 300 mill just on NBA salary alone.

Shaq ain't perfect but he has always been a business man first and a basketball player second.

Duncan took pay cuts and still never played with a player as good as Kobe, Wade, Bron, or prime Amare. Shaq's salary didn't have anything to do with anything because he was still able to play with a who's who of the NBA for two decades. If he dedicated himself to defense and willingly fell back so youngins could thrive like Duncan he wins more rings.

 

[Originalgangsta317]

He did combine the 2 for the first couple years in LA.

I dont think so he was hurt alot after Orlando and his second and third year in Orlando he averaged 29 a night he didn't do that again until 99-2000.

After his third year in Orlando is when the injuries and the weight came and he didn't play a full season in LA until I believe his 4th year getting there.

 

[Originalman]

Fixed



Duncan took pay cuts and still never played with a player as good as Kobe, Wade, Bron, or prime Amare. Shaq's salary didn't have anything to do with anything because he was still able to play with a who's who of the NBA for two decades. If he dedicated himself to defense and willingly fell back so youngins could thrive like Duncan he wins more rings.

No homie what I mean is shaq could have stayed in LA if he would have taken a pay cut.

Buss was not gonna pay shaq and Kobe those high salaries once they stopped winning championships.

Even with shaq having issues with Pat if he took a pay cut he could have still chilled with the heat. He wasn't the same player but if he wanted to stay and take a huge big pay cut he could have.

Shaq never was gonna take a huge pay cut unless he had too. Even when he was old and a shadow of himself in Cleveland that brotha was making 20 mill a year.

As I said Shaq was always a hired gun and admitted it when he did the NBATV interview last week.

Shaq always been about the money first. That is the reason he left Orlando. That is the reason he got in a beef with buss and told the old man you better fukking pay me.

 

[SadimirPutin]

One thing as well that we have to address

Shaq's ego played a part in things as well........it didnt have the impact that his lack of conditioning did but his ego did factor in

 

[FTBS]

No homie what I mean is shaq could have stayed in LA if he would have taken a pay cut.

Buss was not gonna pay shaq and Kobe those high salaries once they stopped winning championships.

Even with shaq having issues with Pat if he took a pay cut he could have still chilled with the heat. He wasn't the same player but if he wanted to stay and take a huge big pay cut he could have.

Shaq never was gonna take a huge pay cut unless he had too. Even when he was old and a shadow of himself in Cleveland that brotha was making 20 mill a year.

As I said Shaq was always a hired gun and admitted it when he did the NBATV interview last week.

Shaq always been about the money first. That is the reason he left Orlando. That is the reason he got in a beef with buss and told the old man you better fukking pay me.

He took the paycut in MIA anyway. He wanted 90 for 3 from LA and took 100 for 5 in MIA. Buss wasn't gonna pay an aging, fat, lazy Shaq like that. Regardless of what he was or how much money he made, he was always playing along side at least one other superlative talent in a league where most teams couldn't even get one for most of his career.

 

[Reggie]

Shaq could have did more but he didn't really underachieve in the sense that he didn't have an all time great career. He could have scored some more but it was the guard's job to get him the ball to get the points. Of course his FT's could have been better and I think the biggest travesty is that he never led the league in rebounds or blocks. 30 and 15 should have been the norm for him in his prime. But 28 and 12 aint to shabby either.

 

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