Empty the Bench

You’ve probably heard that the Chicago Tribune’s Sam Smith speculated earlier this week that the Miami Heat might be well served to trade Shaquille O’Neal and his woefully big contract. He specifically cites the Dallas Mavericks as a destination that would make sense. Honestly, Shaq is not “the most dominating player in the NBA” anymore, so even if there was a morsel of truth in this rumor on Smith’s part, I think the Heat would find it incredibly difficult to move the 35-year-old center and still get good value.

It’s one column that’s less than 10 paragraphs long, but it’s more than Shaq’s apparently fragile ego could take. Ira Winderman for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel has quotes today from the big man himself, which include personal attacks of credibility, petty threats, and even an attempt at humor with incredibly ironic results. From Winderman’s blog:

Of the report from respected NBA writer Sam Smith, O’Neal said, “Obviously, it’s an idiot like Sam stirring up trouble.”

Of South Florida media picking up on Smith’s report, O’Neal said, “You all should be spanked for this.”

Of Riley moving quickly to discount the rumor, O’Neal said, “Sam has no credibility after this, whatsoever.”

And of Smith raising the possibility from a distance, O’Neal said, “I promise he wouldn’t say that to my face in a dark alley, where it’s just me and him and no witnesses. I guarantee he wouldn’t say that to me, guarantee it.”

Then again, even on that O’Neal offered a view, “Sam is an idiot — i-d-o-u-t — idiot.”

You guarantee he wouldn’t say that to you in a dark alley? Seriously? Without question, this response from O’Neal is one of the most juvenile outbursts we’ve seen in the NBA this season. This is coming from a guy who’s repeatedly stated his desire to join the ranks of law enforcement after he retires from basketball. Perhaps it’s just me, but a man who’s this quick to threaten another man–over what amounts to baseless speculation–has no business serving the public. Ever.

Smith’s column must have hit really close to home for Shaq to spout off like this. Sadly, something tells me Shaq gets a free pass on his inappropriate comments.

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