"Shaq's arrogance is an insult to people who think." - Bill Walton

[BigShtank]

Oh my...THANK YOU for the link! This made my evening:

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Apparently, it's not unprecedented for Shaq to "bitch slap" detractors during the shootaround. Just checking here for the games to come this week: Did Stephen Jackson or Dirk Nowitzski have anything negative to say about the Shaq trade? No? OK, just checking!

Is that Shaq giving Ostertag a Captain Insano Powerbomb?

 

[F-Dog]

I like Bill Walton well enough. He doesn't take himself seriously, which automatically puts him above 90% of NBA analysts.


Shaq is definitely going to mouth off while he's here, and I'm sure he'll trash the Suns a few times on his way out, too. I'll enjoy the ride for now, though.

 

[dodie53]

i hope Shaq hears more negative comments towards him,
that will only motivate him.

 

[YouJustGotSUNSD]

Captain Insano shows no mercy.

 

[mojorizen7]

Here is the response video of shack laying some verbal smack down on Bill Walton:

http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/videopage?videoId=3241540&n8pe6c=2&categoryId=2459788

Absolutely 100% lockdown outstanding response to ignorant comments from B. Walton.

 

[az1965]

I like Bill Walton well enough.

Are you serious?

 

[ambchang_]

Bill Walton was a very good player, but he says some crazy stuff. Stephen A. Smith pretty much schooled him on ESPN the other day, while Walton was contradricting himself. He said the Suns needed a big man to win before the trade, and then criticized them for getting one afterwards.

I believe it is a given that when he said Suns need a big man, he meant a big man who fits, not just any big man. It's not like the Suns can get Hakeem out of retirement and nobody should criticize them because he is big.
A Tyrus Thomas type, a Tyson Chandler type, one who gets rebounds, clogs the lane, alters shots, and does not change the offense.
While Shaq used to be able to do all those things, he couldn't this year. Was it because he was faking injuries? If so, it would validate his rant later on. If not, then Shaq is just too injured to carry the Suns to anything significant, which validates what he said first.
There really isn't any contradiction.

 

[ambchang_]

Awesome. Shaq wins hands down especially when he talks about Walton's injury plagued career (compared to Shaq) and how a lesser big man (Walton) should never talk down to a big man above him (Shaq) who has had the better career. At least he has more Championships to show for it.

So a player is the best of all time should be free from any criticisms? This is just ridiculous. No matter how good you are, stealing money by faking injuries is not right, and Walton is in the right in calling him out.

And do you guys know why Walton couldn't stay healthy? He wasn't faking it, he had problems with his feet throughout his career. He never sat out half a season, then come back in the playoffs and dominate.

Shaq has misused the term hypocrisy in this case. If Walton was mouthing off on, say, Jermaine O'Neal about never being able to stay healthy, then he is a hypocrite, but he was talking about Shaquille O'Neal, who make up injuries, went public and said he should rehab on company time to miss half a season, but could somehow miraculously comeback and dominate. Break out your dictionaries kids.

 

[Covert Rain]

So a player is the best of all time should be free from any criticisms? This is just ridiculous. No matter how good you are, stealing money by faking injuries is not right, and Walton is in the right in calling him out.

And do you guys know why Walton couldn't stay healthy? He wasn't faking it, he had problems with his feet throughout his career. He never sat out half a season, then come back in the playoffs and dominate.

Shaq has misused the term hypocrisy in this case. If Walton was mouthing off on, say, Jermaine O'Neal about never being able to stay healthy, then he is a hypocrite, but he was talking about Shaquille O'Neal, who make up injuries, went public and said he should rehab on company time to miss half a season, but could somehow miraculously comeback and dominate. Break out your dictionaries kids.

The guy has been out for a freaking month. Did you and Walton lose your mind?? A month. So his hip isn't suppose to make any improvement over that amount of time? It's not possible he has not felt good enough to play until now?

Am I missing something here? If this injury took about a month for him to feel better and he didn't feel better to right around the time of the trade...who is Bill Walton for anybody else for that matter to question when he felt better?

So we will "break out our dictionary" if you and Walton break out your degrees in physical therapy/sports medicine.

 

[nowagimp]

I believe it is a given that when he said Suns need a big man, he meant a big man who fits, not just any big man. It's not like the Suns can get Hakeem out of retirement and nobody should criticize them because he is big.
A Tyrus Thomas type, a Tyson Chandler type, one who gets rebounds, clogs the lane, alters shots, and does not change the offense.

Tyrus Thomas, clogging the lane? Youre kidding right? Not sure what lane that would be, def not a lane in the NBA. He gets bitch slapped so much in there, he's useless. He's like shawn marion without the skills but 1 1/2" taller. Bill Walton has a short memory, he wanted out of portland, and forced his way out to the clippers and smoked himself out while injured getting a big contract. Bill Walton cant speak with authority on players honoring their commitments.

 

[nashman]

Walton needs to keep his mouth shut, he's wrong in this instance as well as many others he likes to PIPE in on.

 

[BeeBeard]

Tyrus Thomas, clogging the lane? Youre kidding right? Not sure what lane that would be, def not a lane in the NBA. He gets bitch slapped so much in there, he's useless. He's like shawn marion without the skills but 1 1/2" taller. Bill Walton has a short memory, he wanted out of portland, and forced his way out to the clippers and smoked himself out while injured getting a big contract. Bill Walton cant speak with authority on players honoring their commitments.

Tyrus Thomas and Tyson Chandler would have trouble clogging a doorway if they both entered side by side!

Seriously, while either player would be a major upgrade over having NO center and putting Amare at the 5, they're just more-of-the-same for the Suns--athletic rebounders.

In the past, if the Suns grabbed contested rebounds, it was because they literally outjumped the opposition. You can't blame them--they're a team full of midsized, athletic players, so this kind of rebounding played to their strengths.

But the problem with the I-must-outjump-you style of rebounding is that it's not persistent. If you mistime a jump or if a player sneaks past you, then WHOOPS--there goes the easy defensive rebound.

Over time, size and length will always win out in a rebounding battle. Size is constant. Size is unyielding. It's exactly the reason why basketball teams are filled with extremely tall men instead of Nate Robinson types who can all leap 4 feet in the air. In theory, if lil' ol' Nate could sky high enough to reach the same height in the air as, say, an unathletic 7-footer, then couldn't he rebound the same as that 7-footer? NO!

Size matters! (NOT the motion of the rebounding ocean...)


ed: Looks like I was reading another thread at the same time that was talking about rebounding. Oh well! Sorry for the derail, guys.

 

[ambchang_]

The guy has been out for a freaking month. Did you and Walton lose your mind?? A month. So his hip isn't suppose to make any improvement over that amount of time? It's not possible he has not felt good enough to play until now?

Am I missing something here? If this injury took about a month for him to feel better and he didn't feel better to right around the time of the trade...who is Bill Walton for anybody else for that matter to question when he felt better?

So we will "break out our dictionary" if you and Walton break out your degrees in physical therapy/sports medicine.

Yes, if only Shaq didn't have his famous "company time" quote, or his continuous MIAs during regular seasons in years past. And where are your physical therapy/sports medicine degrees, given that you are such an expert on 310 lb athletes who can recover from hip problems with a month of rest during the season, yet can't do that with 3+ months of rest in the off season?

And how about that hypocrisy? Are you going to argue that Shaq was right with stating that Walton was a hypocrite? If so, how? I fail to understand how you questioning mine or Walton's medical knowledge has anything to do with Shaq's failure to grasp simple logic (or the meaning of the word hypocrisy). You think this is some sort of sue counter-sue deal? Where you can not be exposed of your idiocy by diverting the attention somewhere else? BTW, don't ask me about my law degree to further divert the attention to something else.

Apparently, Walton actually was right, Shaq's arrogance was a insult to anybody with brains.

 

[ambchang_]

Tyrus Thomas, clogging the lane? Youre kidding right? Not sure what lane that would be, def not a lane in the NBA. He gets bitch slapped so much in there, he's useless. He's like shawn marion without the skills but 1 1/2" taller. Bill Walton has a short memory, he wanted out of portland, and forced his way out to the clippers and smoked himself out while injured getting a big contract. Bill Walton cant speak with authority on players honoring their commitments.

But did he not give his all while he was with Portland?
And yes, Tyrus Thomas would do more good for Phoenix than Shaq, even though he has considerably less skill.

 

[damo]

can recover from hip problems with a month of rest during the season, yet can't do that with 3+ months of rest in the off season?

how's he supposed to recover during the off season from an injury he hadn't even sustained yet? he injured it diving for a loose ball about a month ago. i mean, seriously.

 

[nowagimp]

But did he not give his all while he was with Portland?
And yes, Tyrus Thomas would do more good for Phoenix than Shaq, even though he has considerably less skill.

1) walton was quick to sit himself down after he had his ankle injury. Who knows how hurt he was. He sure did spend most of his big contract after the injury riding the pines. He had a falling out with the teams(blazers) medical staff and got his own doctor legitimizing his sitting out. Could be he was right, could be that he used it to force a trade to the clippers, where he bonged his way to the "all injured" team. If someone else had criticized shaq, maybe, but walton was the wrong guy to do it with his past.


2) Ty thomas better than shaq, he's not better than marion, not even that close to marion. Ty thomas isnt strong enough to play the '4' in the NBA, he needs to go to the gym. He also needs to get some skills, he is missing far more skills than he has. Dont see how he helps the suns, at least shaq can get the defense attention.

 

[ambchang_]

how's he supposed to recover during the off season from an injury he hadn't even sustained yet? he injured it diving for a loose ball about a month ago. i mean, seriously.

Sorry, I meant to imply about those "injuries" he had with the Lakers that couldn't be recovered during the offseasons.

 

[ambchang_]

1) walton was quick to sit himself down after he had his ankle injury. Who knows how hurt he was. He sure did spend most of his big contract after the injury riding the pines. He had a falling out with the teams(blazers) medical staff and got his own doctor legitimizing his sitting out. Could be he was right, could be that he used it to force a trade to the clippers, where he bonged his way to the "all injured" team. If someone else had criticized shaq, maybe, but walton was the wrong guy to do it with his past.

Walton was chronically injured throughout his entire career, sans the 6th man year. And his fall out with management after disputes on his injuries after the contract, but from management point of view, wouldn't you want your big name center to play after the big contract, regardless of whether he was really injured or not? Multiple surgeries since shows that Bill Walton was indeed injured during his stay with Portland, he had a risky arch surgery in the early 80's/late 70's just to keep him mobile.

Walton always played his hardest, and it would take a huge stretch of imagination to say that he was faking those injuries.

2) Ty thomas better than shaq, he's not better than marion, not even that close to marion. Ty thomas isnt strong enough to play the '4' in the NBA, he needs to go to the gym. He also needs to get some skills, he is missing far more skills than he has. Dont see how he helps the suns, at least shaq can get the defense attention.

This is arguable, of course I wouldn't trade Marion for Thomas even if the salaries worked, but he could give Suns some rebounding help up front. But the original assertion is that Walton was criticizing the trade because Shaq just doesn't fit with the Suns, at least not on paper. We will have to wait and see.

 

[French Fries]

Apparently, Walton actually was right, Shaq's arrogance was a insult to anybody with brains.

i'd like to believe i have a brain that functions well, and i myself is not insulted, that alone makes the statement a fallacy

no big deal for me though, walton, no matter how silly walton might seem, he's getting paid to do what he does. at the end of the day, what he says is just an opinion and not the absolute truth, therefore us readers (or listerners) have the option of agreeing, disagreeing, or ignoring it. we're entitled to our own opinions and free will after all...

 

[Covert Rain]

And where are your physical therapy/sports medicine degrees, given that you are such an expert on 310 lb athletes who can recover from hip problems with a month of rest during the season, yet can't do that with 3+ months of rest in the off season?

I am not the one dumb enough to question what he is feeling pain wise, the extent of the injury or what the Suns trainers and medical staff are able to to for him.

I fail to understand how you questioning mine or Walton's medical knowledge has anything to do with Shaq's failure to grasp simple logic (or the meaning of the word hypocrisy). You think this is some sort of sue counter-sue deal? Where you can not be exposed of your idiocy by diverting the attention somewhere else? BTW, don't ask me about my law degree to further divert the attention to something else.

Apparently, Walton actually was right, Shaq's arrogance was a insult to anybody with brains.

Because simple logic would dictate that neither you or Walton knows the extent of the injury, the progress he has made in the last month. Evidently, you and your buddy Walton know better.

 

[AceP]

Bill Walton is the one without brain. It is too obvious that Riley sit Shaq deliberately.

First, the Heat r tanking for top pick.

Second, the want to make sure Shaq can pass a physical.

Last, Shaq's hip injury was announced to be healed in 2 weeks, it has already been 2 weeks since then.

 

[azdad1978]

Who cares Walton insulted him so Shaq turned around and ripped his career. I for one will give Shaq benefit of the doubt. Walton cast him like a bum wait till he suits up.

 

[elindholm]

i'd like to believe i have a brain that functions well, and i myself is not insulted

I think my head just exploded.

 

[LavaLamp2]

I think my head just exploded.

LMAO

 

[mojorizen7]

Yes, if only Shaq didn't have his famous "company time" quote,

Isn't that the equivalant(spelling?) to workers comp?
I have no problem with O'Neil's "company time" quote.
It's not like Shaq went out & "F"ed up his hip in a motorcycle crash playing stuntman ala Kevin Winslow Jr.
I injured my back while working at work. I sat out for a week to heal while my work payed for it.
???
Enlighten me if i missed something there. However "lazy" Shaq's statement sounds on the surface,it's just simple truth on the way it works IMO.