One of the great big men in NBA history today hung up his enormous size 23 sneakers.  For better or worse he was as memorable as they come throughout his 19 year NBA odyssey

SCOTT JACOBS

He was larger than life.  Literally.  Shaquille Rashaun O’Neal  was the biggest, and still continues to be, the biggest person I have ever encountered in my life.  I had the good fortune of meeting and interviewing him briefly back in 2006 when the Miami Heat were holding a charity event for Thanksgiving in Overtown Miami.

Shaq was different.  In every way.  He was a big clumsy kid growing up who was teased mercilessly for his big feet, and big hands.  He was an army brat, raised by a family that believed strongly in education.  He was a bright guy who sported athleticism that was pretty much unfathomable for his size and a smile that a nation fell in love with.

He could show up out of shape and still show up entire teams.  He was the peanut butter to Kobe Bryant’s jealousy.  The ultimate fall guy when L.A.’s Four Peat attempt was unraveled by the pesky Pistons, unraveling one of sports’ great twenty first century dynasties with it.

Shaq brought down rims and he brought down teams.

His brute force made him a beloved icon in Orlando, after he was drafted first overall by the Magic in the 1992 Draft.  The LSU star took the league by storm his first season running away with the 1993 Rookie of the Year award and leading a previously nameless team into national prominence. In three years the Magic went from worst to almost first behind the Daddy, advancing all the way to the NBA Finals.  It seemed like a marriage that would last forever.

But just two years later Shaq took his massive numbers and his massive frame and switched coasts, stunning the hoops world by bolting to the Lakers via free agency.  His defection crushed Orlando, who behind Penny Hardaway stayed relevent, but was never a true title contender.  It wasn’t until another league worst record, that the Magic recouped the league’s top center, this time a man by the name of Dwight Howard.

Once in Los Angeles, Shaq fit right in with the oversized ego of the city.  He used his star to inexplicably get put into movies, such as two trainwrecks that immediately come to mind (Kazaam in ‘96 and Steel in ‘97).  He made rap albums.  And music videos.  He was even a director.  Tell me if you’ve heard of this one: Cousin Skeeter in 1998?  It was a TV series. Whatever.

People remember his Laker times fondly, but Superman didn’t win a ring until year four of his Hollywood extravaganza.  In fact, it wasn’t until Phil Jackson came to coach the team that Shaq got his first ring.  From there the Lakers and Shaq were as much a part of pop culture as Hollywood itself, reeling off three straight championships, Shaq netting three straight Finals MVPs.

He was too good for his own good.  Shaq finishes his career with just one regular season MVP.  But he was so unique that they had to rewrite the rule book.  Hack-A-Shaq emerged while he was with the Lakers, an infamous ploy utilized by desperate western conference teams in the playoffs to try to slow him down, while taking advantage of his putrid foul shooting.  That was one thing Shaq never quite got the hang of (his best year at the line ironically came in 2002-03 when he shot 66%.  Ironic because it was the last time he was the focal point of a championship team).

Shaq was a monster on the offensive end, attracting double teams everywhere he went.  In his first fourteen years in the league he never averaged less than 21 points a game.  How good was Shaq?  His rookie year with Orlando he averaged 23.4 ppg, nearly 14 rebounds a game, and 3.5 blocks a contest.  Interestingly enough though, he never averaged 30 points in a season.  Given the great talents he’s been compared to such as Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, it’s an interesting point of emphasis considering Chamberlain once averaged not 30, but 50 points in a season! (That coming in 1961-62, long before Shaq was even alive).

But Shaq had his lion’s share as well. He shot 50% from the field in every season.  Including whatever you want to call his last few in the league with Cleveland and Boston.

He was the scapegoat.

After the Lakers lost to Detroit in ‘04, Los Angeles decided they were ready to move on, not wanting to give an aging Shaq the exorbitant contract he craved.  It started a bidding war — with the Miami Heat winning his services in a swap that only cost them Lamar Odom, Brian Grant, and Caron Butler. All quality players — none close to Shaq.  Shaq’s dismissal — this time his fault or not, buried L.A. in a few years of rebuilding mode, until Memphis decided to hand L.A. the services to one, Pau Gasol.

Miami threw Shaq one hell of a party upon his arrival (sound familiar?), and he was bestowed the key to the city — an honor he was given in just about every city he arrived in.  With water guns a squirting and a jubilant Mickey Arison, Shaq proclaimed that the Heat would win a championship under his watch.  They did.  Only it was Dwyane Wade who carried Miami to their first title two years after Shaq’s arrival.  While Shaq had some good games with the Heat, and was second in MVP voting his first year with the team, his arrival in South Beach, brought the slow painful decline for Shaq Diesel.  People tend to forget that an aging Alonzo Mourning was much more effective against the Mavericks in the ‘06 Finals than Shaq was.

But Shaq’s presence completely revitalized the Heat and their national appeal.  His arrival helped convince veterans like Gary Payton to come aboard for one last go at it, and the Glove was a key piece in helping the Heat win the title they so desperately craved.  Shaq helped get Flash on the map.  Shortly, Flash wanted no part of his new popular nickname, choosing to be his own man.

Which brings us full circle to my first and only encounter with Shaq Daddy.  I’ll never forget the day: November 16, 2006 in a crammed gym in a bad area of Miami.  Media members were everywhere.  The Heat were attempting to repeat with almost the same roster as the year before (a fatal mistake given how old that team was).  A greatful Pat Riley, when asked what he was most greatful for, said something that always stuck with me: “I thank the good lord on Thanksgiving or around Thanksgiving. I actually have 15 healthy players.”  Two days later Shaq got hurt, leading to a snowball of misfortune or misery for a Miami team that would be bounced by the Bulls in a pathetic first round sweep.  Talk about one of the all-time kiss of death statements.

The wheels fell off after that.  Shaq was great when he cared.  Shaq was great when he was the Kingpen or at the very least, a big part of the spotlight on a big-time team.  But when things got bad, he bolted.  Miami brought him back in just the second year of a 5 year $100 million contract in 2007-08, but he couldn’t avoid a slew of injuries and began to miss games.  When he played he looked indifferent to the game.  When Wade was lost for the year that was the final straw for Shaq’s Miami tenure.

He brought hope everywhere he went.  Including a belaguered Suns franchise, that has been as consistently good as any team in the sport, but has still to this day never won a championship.  Shaq’s trade to Phoenix — still one of the most dumbfounding and shocking trades in sports history, made the Suns the talk of the league.  But talk is cheap.  Upon his arrival Shaq pointed to his ring finger comforting Suns fans that he would win them a ring.  He didn’t.  In fact, he never got the Suns out of the first round.  The Seven Seconds or Less Suns were killed by Shaq’s arrival, and in the end it cost Mike D’Antoni his job.

But Shaq rejuvenated his sagging career in the desert, where he found new life with Phoenix’s trainers.  All of a sudden Shaq was able to stay healthy, something Heat fans will forever question.  Did Shaq not care if he didn’t have a chance to win?  Many people came to believe as much.

Still, Shaq’s career in Phoenix was defined by a whole lot of hype and a few memorable plays, like the one time he jumped full speed ahead into the crowd in a game versus the hated Spurs in an attempt to corral a loose ball.

Fans loved him for his goofy antics, like when he would sprint down the court after nailing a second foul shot.  But late into his career Shaq became more of a gimmick than a savior.

Cleveland brought him on board to pair with LeBron James, but the duo never worked from the get-go.  The cost of acquiring Shaq?  Two players who would be bought out and a draft pick.  The Cavs threw O’Neal a hero’s welcome, but once again he was all glitz and no ring.  The Cavs were one of the NBA’s best teams that year, but Shaq couldn’t stay healthy, and when he was, he was rendered ineffective.  His 12 ppg his lowest average until…

He ended up in Boston for one last go around.  Rather than retiring years earlier when he was still relevent, Shaq choose to hang around about four years too long.  He loved his name in the headlines.  It often was.  But in Boston Shaq was once again a side show.  He was hope that couldn’t stay healthy.  The difference maker so many analysts proclaimed against Miami, that could barely get off the bench.

Through it all Shaq was charismatic, charming, funny, obnoxious, rude, lazy, reborn, and a master at selling people promises — falsely or not.  He was the NBA’s golden god.  People worshipped at the altar of Shaq.

I remember that day at the gym, when I met him.  He extended his enormous hand to shake mine, and I was afraid he was going to crush me into dust.  But it was the gentlest handshake I’ve ever had.  Almost as soft spoken as his voice.

Shaq was different.  In a day and age of athletes who were afraid to be themselves, he was outgoing, personable, fun, someone you really wanted to like.  But he was far from perfect and could be a real jerk.

He loved to burn bridges.

“I love playing for this coach and I love playing with these guys,” O’Neal infamously told the Boston Globe back in 2008, just days after being dealt from a Heat team that was killed by injuries and had sunk to the bottom of the standings. “We have professionals who know what to do. No one is asking me to play with Chris Quinn or Ricky Davis. I’m actually on a team again.”

You won’t hear anyone bring that up today.  No, this is Shaq’s day.  Of all the days that he could announce his retirement, Shaq picked the day after that same Miami Heat team moved within 3 wins of another championship, something he has coveted but never again won since departing South Beach.  Anyone else find that a little odd?  Or arrogant for that matter?

But he was great with the media and he did everything he possibly could to build a brand.  From Icy Hot commercials (which became comical in his twilight days as the computer would alter his generic team’s jersey because he kept moving around) to his Shaq Versus show, Shaq was a big kid.  He owned nice cars and bought big mansions.  On Star Island in South Florida he once coughed up $20 million for a house.

He had nicknames, so many nicknames.  Some were clever, some downright nasty.  He was a cop, a student in a Sports broadcasting class, a conductor for a day, and soon he says, he’ll have his Ph.D to go along with a Masters.  The man was no dumby.

He did things his way.  His official press conference to formally announce his retirement will be held Friday at where else — but his house.  Like a good politician he knows how to stroke egos, and he knows the media will give him more leeway for doing so.

He was one of sports’ most fascinating figures and a sure fire First Ballot Hall of Famer. He was the epitome of power and a master marketer.  Shaq took advantage of every opportunity that came his way and then some during his 19 year career.  He also was a great guy in the community and loved putting smiles on people’s faces whenever he could.  Who could forget Shaq-A-Claus?

Some people still love him, some despise him: but you can’t ignore the fact that throughout his 19 year career and 15 All Star appearances he truly was larger than life.  Shaq the player retired today, but Shaq the character isn’t going away anytime soon.

Photo: Reuters

Popularity: 3% [?]