O'Neal calls Nash's MVPs 'tainted'

[Diawsome]

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/0224sunsnb0224.html

MINNESOTA - Often, Steve Nash is sainted for his two MVP seasons, but Shaquille O'Neal considers them to be "tainted."

After Miami's loss in Dallas on Thursday, O'Neal was engaged in an MVP discussion as it related to the Mavericks' Dirk Nowitzki. O'Neal questioned how the media picks MVPs and said the award has been "tainted" the past two seasons. O'Neal was the runner-up for Nash's first MVP in 2005.

O'Neal repeated "tainted" references to reporters.

"I don't know what to say," Nash said. "I'm sorry he feels that way."

First Wade goes off on Dirk now Shaq goes off on Nash whats next Pat Riley calling Gregg Popovich an attention seeking has been? Maybe if they spent less time bashing other stars and more time focusing on their own team maybe they wouldn't be a sub .500 team

 

[Future1984]

Shaq is just jealous, because Nash can run the floor w/o having a heart attack.

SHAQ = SHREK

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Wow, I always thought Shaq was funny, now I realize he was funny, because he was stupid.

 

[TJ]

This coming from a guy who doesnt try anymore. I feel sorry for the Heat, who are obligated to pay his over inflated contract for the next few years

 

[boisesuns]

So shaq's champoinship last year is tainted once we see how he does without D Wade.

 

[Dback Jon]

Shaq - just dropped from loveable oaf to whiny imbecile

 

[elindholm]

This is the same guy who launched all of the "asterisk" talk about the Spurs' title in 1999. The rule with O'Neal is, if he didn't win, it didn't count.

 

[Ciani]

Interesting opinion...
I doubt that Shaq clearly understands what the MVP award is about. Maybe Nash is not the best or most talented player in the league, one can say that his awards were arguable, but tainted? No way.

 

[D-Dogg]

This is the same guy who launched all of the "asterisk" talk about the Spurs' title in 1999. The rule with O'Neal is, if he didn't win, it didn't count.

That was actually Phil Jackson's comment. Shaq just parroted it and kept it going.




This is all it takes for you guys to be down on Shaq? Christ, you didn't get to see him be a jackass to your own franchise while he was playing for them.

There are three shaqs...the bball player, the comedian and the *****. You just got a taste of the latter.

 

[boisesuns]

That was actually Phil Jackson's comment. Shaq just parroted it and kept it going.




This is all it takes for you guys to be down on Shaq? Christ, you didn't get to see him be a jackass to your own franchise while he was playing for them.

There are three shaqs...the bball player, the comedian and the *****. You just got a taste of the latter.

I think we understand what SHAQ really is: A good basketball player past his prime. A lot of us see the comedian side and laugh becuase he's a funny guy, but he has his moments where he opens his mouth too much.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

That was actually Phil Jackson's comment. Shaq just parroted it and kept it going.




This is all it takes for you guys to be down on Shaq? Christ, you didn't get to see him be a jackass to your own franchise while he was playing for them.

There are three shaqs...the bball player, the comedian and the *****. You just got a taste of the latter.

I can see it. Generally I really like Shaq, and think he is pretty funny. It's pretty easy to tell that he can be petty though. Shaq is just bitter because he is a shell of his former self, while guys like Wade and Nash get the MVP attention.

 

[pokerface]

Uhhh Shaqs last allstar game was the king of taint....he hardly played this season!!

 

[ReddBird]

It's a shame how such a big man can make himself look so little.

 

[HooverDam]

Shaq is a lot like Barkley. A great player, who is often very funny and loveable, but like all great talkers, sometimes he yammers a bit too much. I don't take anything he says seriously, so this latest comment doesn't piss me off (though I obviously disagree with him).

 

[coyoteshockeyfan]

Shaquille doesn't think winning two MVP awards was impressive enough? That's ok, Nash will win a third.

 

[Jay Cardinal]

Uhhh Shaqs last allstar game was the king of taint....he hardly played this season!!

Agreed. He played in like 5/50 games and starts in the all star game. Fortunately Shaq is driving on a one-way street full of glass houses.....

 

[elindholm]

Awesome. I will now refer to O'Neal as the King of Taint. That's hilarious.

 

[msdundee]

Uhhh Shaqs last allstar game was the king of taint....he hardly played this season!!

Change that MDE to MTE......

 

[devilalum]

Awesome. I will now refer to O'Neal as the King of Taint. That's hilarious.

How about, "The King of the Taint?"

 

[elindholm]

How about, "The King of the Taint?"

No, it's better without the "the," because of the pun on "taint." That's why I find it so funny.

 

[TheFallen49]

He's always been an idiot, if you find it funny or loveable thats fine... personally I think he's just too stupid to even understand other people may have different perspectives.

I don't think Nash should have won two (and DEFINITELY not three) straight MVP's but there's no point in complaining about it, the award has become the medias. Look at who gets to cast the votes, it's quite meaningless. The main reason Nash doesn't deserve a third MVP (when his run can actually be called tainted) is because the other men who have won 3 MVP awards are beyond being mentioned in the same breath as Nash. He's not there yet and hasn't shown anything indicating he ever will be.

 

[elindholm]

The main reason Nash doesn't deserve a third MVP (when his run can actually be called tainted) is because the other men who have won 3 MVP awards are beyond being mentioned in the same breath as Nash. He's not there yet and hasn't shown anything indicating he ever will be.

The problem with that logic is that the award is given out once a year, not in three-year cycles. If Nash happens to win three years in a row, it doesn't mean he's as good as the other three-straight winners -- all it means is that he happened to win it three years in a row.

But, you're right that the media makes a big deal out of the possibility, and you're right that the media owns the awards anyway, so it's safe to say that he won't win for that reason.

 

[Chaplin]

He's always been an idiot, if you find it funny or loveable thats fine... personally I think he's just too stupid to even understand other people may have different perspectives.

I don't think Nash should have won two (and DEFINITELY not three) straight MVP's but there's no point in complaining about it, the award has become the medias. Look at who gets to cast the votes, it's quite meaningless. The main reason Nash doesn't deserve a third MVP (when his run can actually be called tainted) is because the other men who have won 3 MVP awards are beyond being mentioned in the same breath as Nash. He's not there yet and hasn't shown anything indicating he ever will be.

This is just buying into the media's perception of what the award is. Nash doesn't deserve the MVP simply because he shouldn't be part of that "exclusive" 3-MVP group? Are you kidding? There is a little something called basketball that Steve Nash plays--and he's pretty good at it. If he doesn't deserve it, it's because he isn't the MOST VALUABLE PLAYER, not that he just happens to not be good enough to be in the company of other 3-timers.

 

[Chaplin]

Seems to be some miscommunication somewhere...

This from Marc Stein:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailydime?page=dailydime_070224-25

I would love to be able to tell you what Shaquille O'Neal meant Thursday night when he said that the MVP voting has been "tainted" for the "last couple years."

But I can't.

Attempts by the media pack at O'Neal's locker to get him to expound were rebuffed. And while it might seem like an obvious shot at Steve Nash, that contradicts the conversation I had with Shaq before the game.

When he asked who I projected to win the MVP award, O'Neal reacted with disbelief when I told him Dirk Nowitzki was leading the race with a third of the season to go.

"Over Nash?" Shaq asked . . . and in a disapproving way, not sarcastically.

 

[Phxchris1989]

Well, looks like I lose my respect for Shaq now. What did Nash ever do him? me thinks he's jumping on the anti-nash MVP bandwagon.