Just the motivation Shaq needed?

[Reality]

When Jerry Buss sounded off on Shraq this past week, did he provide Shaq with exactly what Shaq needed to get in better shape.

We all know Shaq will not get in shape* for his 20+ million dollar salary or for the betterment of his teamates (see L.A. 2002-3-4) and that this year was no exception as he was sleeping peacefully while consuming Crispy Cremes and Whoopers on the way to a flabby 340+ 2005-6 season opening show up weight.
*Exception would be 2004-5 season whereupon he showed up to the Heat after bicycling all summer to arrive at a svelt 325-330.  His motivation seemed to be 100% to prove Buss and the Lakers wrong for siding with Pampered Boy Koubee.

Which brings us to now.  Simple child psychology would indicate that the o-n-l-y thing that could have awoken the slumbering 2005-6 Shaq would be Buss planting a seed in that tiny brain of Shaq that would grow and ignite to a Whooper sized bit of motivation.  Oh sure, Pat Riley is back.  But that has been more or less speculated for the last year and a half.  While Riles will no doubt help Shaq get in shape, who are we kidding?  Buss comments are the prime motivation IMO.
Article below.  Bolded are the most pertinent parts.  

Updated: Dec. 19, 2005, 2:48 PM ET
Shaq says Buss making excuses for siding with KobeESPN.com news services

Miami Heat center Shaquille O'Neal thinks Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss is making excuses for taking Kobe Bryant's side when the players were feuding as teammates with the Lakers.

O'Neal was responding to Buss' recent comments in the Los Angeles Times that trading O'Neal to Miami was the correct decision. O'Neal said Buss isn't an "honest businessman" because he won't state the real reasons behind the deal.

"Everybody knows what that is really about," O'Neal told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "He had to make a choice, the young guy [Bryant] or the old guy. He made his choice, and good luck with his choice."

Buss told the Times last week he would make the same decision "100 out of 100 times. To me, the risk-reward ratio wasn't there.

"It was not only a question of whether the man was going to be in shape, but what were his true salary demands going to be."

O'Neal responded in the Sun-Sentinel: "How many years was Phil there? And how many years we went to the Finals? ... And how many points did I average and how many times was I the MVP?"

The Lakers went to the Finals four times in Jackson's five seasons coaching Bryant and O'Neal in Los Angeles, winning three titles. O'Neal was voted the Finals MVP in 2000, 2001 and 2002 after averaging 38, 33 and 36.3 points, respectively.

"Obviously, do all the math and ... everybody knows what that [trade] is really about," O'Neal said.

O'Neal also said Buss lied when he says he tried to contact O'Neal to explain his reasons for the trade. O'Neal said he has no desire to speak with Buss.

Still, O'Neal told the Sun-Sentinel: "I don't take it personally. I haven't said nothing this year, but I am not going to let someone say something about me and then not come back."

[westkoast]

This defines the problem perfectly...

Why does Shaq have to be motivated by these means?  Why is he not self motivated?

[WayOutWest]

This defines the problem perfectly...

Why does Shaq have to be motivated by these means?  Why is he not self motivated?

1,000 % correct koast!

Money and titles don't motivate him, so what could L.A. offer up?

IMO the only thing that would have motivated Shaq would have been to keep PJ and get rid of Kobe.  But that would only have motivated Shaq for ONE season, then L.A. would be really screwed.

[rickortreat]

Maybe you guys should take off the Laker glasses and realize that Shaq is motivated just fine by the disrespect he percieved from Buss last year.

Buss has to make these stupid comments to justify his decision to get rid of Shaq.  I think Shaq sees it clearly enough:  Buss went with the young guy.

Face it, with Shaq the Lakers would be contending for a title, instead of leaving their fans wondering about whether or not they'll make the playoffs.

In the meantime, Shaq and the Heat are in postion to compete for the championship, and their record is only this way, because Shaq has been out with injuries.

How do you know how much Shaq is motivated, by how much he weighs now!?   :bs:  

[WayOutWest]

Maybe you guys should take off the Laker glasses and realize that Shaq is motivated just fine by the disrespect he percieved from Buss last year.

Buss has to make these stupid comments to justify his decision to get rid of Shaq.  I think Shaq sees it clearly enough:  Buss went with the young guy.

Face it, with Shaq the Lakers would be contending for a title, instead of leaving their fans wondering about whether or not they'll make the playoffs.

In the meantime, Shaq and the Heat are in postion to compete for the championship, and their record is only this way, because Shaq has been out with injuries.

How do you know how much Shaq is motivated, by how much he weighs now!?   :bs:

That is EXACTLY the point rick, try and pay attention.  

Shaq is NOT motivated by being the best player he can be, Shaq is NOT motivated by the money he gets and Shaq is NOT motivated by championships.  Like we ALREADY stated, for some reason Shaq finds motivation moreso by getting "dissed" than all those other LEGIT motivational aspects.  It's obvious to anyone who's watched Shaq over the years.

If he WAS motivated he would have come into camp in shape, round is not a shape I would accept.  Comming into camp this year, he looked heavier than last year, with the injury he's gotten even heavier.

 

[westkoast]

Maybe you guys should take off the Laker glasses and realize that Shaq is motivated just fine by the disrespect he percieved from Buss last year.

Buss has to make these stupid comments to justify his decision to get rid of Shaq.  I think Shaq sees it clearly enough:  Buss went with the young guy.

Face it, with Shaq the Lakers would be contending for a title, instead of leaving their fans wondering about whether or not they'll make the playoffs.

In the meantime, Shaq and the Heat are in postion to compete for the championship, and their record is only this way, because Shaq has been out with injuries.

How do you know how much Shaq is motivated, by how much he weighs now!?   :bs:

You completely missed the point Rick   :huh:

If anything this proves two things 1)  the reason Buss ditched Shaq was more than just for 'the new guy' 2) Shaq is not motivated on his own nor can he be motivated unless you bruise his ego.  

[Reality]

Rick it is so rare the Lakerism followers have a correct purple n golden thought, we need to prop them when such a Haleys comet occurs.

True you have it that Buss and the Krishnas resort to dissing Shaq in order to justify the trade...

However, Shaqs weight definitely matters.  Not so much lbs but fat percentage.  He was obviously in much better shape for Heat 1.  Heat 2 he has blimped out again, by his own admission refusing to do aerobics.  

Thus true the statement that it appears only a dis of his feeble ego will motivate rather then 20+ million and love (lack of) his teamates.

WOW, Randolph and other Lakerists will insist he would have back to LA in bad shape or, as WOW give only one year.  Howver WOW, suppose his widdle ego could have been pushed in the second year also?  Its not a given Shaq would have remained blimpy in Hollywood.  If an exchange of words between the traded/FA Koubee and Shaq would occur and or be orchestrated, who knows how in shape he would have been for the Lakers.

Back to the threads point, will this latest Buss dis serve to motivate Shaq?  I say yes.  But for how long.  

[WayOutWest]

There are no "what ifs" in regards to Shaq's weight as a Laker.  We had 4 years of proof.

The IQ required to understand the points made in this thread is obviously a bit too high.  We need to flash enable this site so I can use pictures for some of y'all.

[Ted]

Shaq is NOT motivated by being the best player he can be, Shaq is NOT motivated by the money he gets and Shaq is NOT motivated by championships.  Like we ALREADY stated, for some reason Shaq finds motivation moreso by getting "dissed" than all those other LEGIT motivational aspects.  It's obvious to anyone who's watched Shaq over the years.

Could you guys imagine what Shaq could have been if he had Michael Jordan's approach to competition and preparation?

It makes me shiver to even think about it. I'm a bigger fan of MJ than most, and even I will admit that Shaq should have supplanted MJ as GOAT. Now, off the top of my head, he barely cracks my Top 10 all time.

[Guest_Randy]

Ted,

Don't miss the fact that this was a MAJOR rub between Shaq and Kobe.  Shaq considered him the leader of the team but Kobe couldn't respect a "leader" who wouldn't commit to being in the best condition possible.  Shaq has ONLY done that conditioning TWICE (that's two years) -- and only one of those years was in LA -- since then he has gone down hill in BOTH clubs.

And yes, I think MANY people feel that same way.  IF Shaq had the drive and competitiveness of MJ or Kobe -- he would be VERY scary!

Shaq will go down as one of the most dominant centers to ever play the game -- however, his lack of drive will always taint what could have been a far greater legend than he will experience.

Very few people touch on this area when discussing the problems between Shaq and Kobe -- the fact is that Shaq LIVES to play -- Kobe LIVES to play basketball.  Kobe, like MJ, would never accept someone who didn't push themselves hard to be the best on the court that they could -- Shaq NEVER pushed himself to do this -- PJ pushed him but Shaq never pushed himself.  

I'm not saying this is all the reason -- there were other major reasons -- but it's obvious that it was a factor!

[Ted]

It'll be interesting to see what happens with Kobe now. He hasn't had as much time being "the man" as Jordan did at this age. Eventually, Jordan figured out that he couldn't win every night all by himself. Maybe Kobe's game right now is a product of his situation, but if he could get under control and take fewer ill-advised shots, he's got the rest of the tools.

Looking back, I can't remember seeing Jordan taking very many fall-away threes with ten seconds left on the clock during his great years.

[westkoast]

It'll be interesting to see what happens with Kobe now. He hasn't had as much time being "the man" as Jordan did at this age. Eventually, Jordan figured out that he couldn't win every night all by himself. Maybe Kobe's game right now is a product of his situation, but if he could get under control and take fewer ill-advised shots, he's got the rest of the tools.

Looking back, I can't remember seeing Jordan taking very many fall-away threes with ten seconds left on the clock during his great years.

The difference is when he would take that shot, he was hitting it with regularity.  Ill-advised shots are only ill-advised when the ball doesnt swish.  In MJs case it was swishing!!  Kobe just doesn't have as good of a jumper as MJ did.

Ted you hit it on the head why some of us (well at least myself) were frustrated with Shaq and still continue to be frustrated.  The whole motivation thing has always been a problem for just the very reason you stated....could you imagine the player he could have become?!  I've seen nights where he has that fire and he is such a great player to watch.  Just total dominatation not just offensively in the paint but he is one hell of a police man in the middle on top of it.  I am too young to remember Bill Russell when he was actually playing but Ive seen many-a-games of his on ESPN Classic and Shaq could have been what Bill was defensively.  The problem is he has to be motivated by petty remarks...either from Phil, Kobe, Buss, Charles Barkley, Sportwriters whomever.  He has the drive  to be an awesome player when it comes to trying to prove something or make another person look bad.   First two championships were because many people were saying Shaq was good but isnt great because he has no rings...so then he gets that fire again.   When those petty reasons are not flying about he takes a vacation.  Perfect example?  Last off-season.  Heat get to EC finals, lose but since the Lakers had such a pathetic season the 'I-told-you-so' faded and so did his motivation.  As you can tell he was busy shooting commercials, having cameos, and not working out this off-season.