Yes, it’s All Shaq All the Time today. While writing about Shaquille O’Neal in previous posts here, I bumped into several of his various and sundry nicknames. For starters, “Shaq” itself is a nickname. But we won’t even count that as one. Many Shaq nicknames were those he gave to himself. In his mind he […]

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Shaquille O’Neal will have played for at least four NBA teams by the time he retires — the Magic, the Lakers, the Heat and the Suns. But it seems clear where his retired jersey should hang. In Staples Center. So, look for a No. 34 — his number in L.A., where 32 (Magic Johnson) and […]

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This has been one of Shaquille O’Neal’s eternal vanities. One of several, but perhaps the most germane to his team winning or losing. His insistence, throughout his career, that everyone stop talking about his inability to make free throws because he “will make them when they matter.” At some future point in time. Well, making […]

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Say goodnight to the big man. And that Shaquille O’Neal gamble? A busted flush. And there the Phoenix Suns went, down the drain and out of the NBA playoffs — and off the radar of genuine NBA contenders for the foreseeable future. Lots of us suggested, back in February, that the Suns had gone bonkers […]

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A recent trend in the sports-fan blogosphere is to create a website named “FireTheSportsFigureIHate.com” Just fill in the name of the coach/general manager/player you loathe, get the domain, get busy trashing the guy. Among those out there and active are firegeorgekarl.com (referring to the Denver Nuggers coach) … and locally, we had dumpdorrell.com, which last […]

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Aside perhaps from the circus freak show pick-up team … has any starting five in basketball history sported more observable tattoos than the Denver Nuggets? Iverson, Anthony, Camby, Martin, Anthony … you’ve got a fivesome with enough color ink to supply a dozen copy machines. Throw in sixth-man J.R. Smith … and the Nuggets have […]

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Lakers fans are keyed up about the NBA playoffs. Giddy. It’s understandable. For the first time since 2004 (the Shaq-Mailman-Glove-Kobe team) the Lakers have a real chance of surviving a round or two. But a championship? Don’t count on it. Even if this or that analyst has decided, since the Pau Gasol trade, that they […]

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The Lakers went up 30 in the second quarter, saw New Orleans close within a point with 3:57 to play … but hung on to defeat the Hornets 107-104 and clinch the Pacific Division — probably securing the MVP award for Kobe Bryant, in the process. They also moved within a half-game of New Orleans […]

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The Lakers lost at home to another bad team, 114-111 to the Memphis Grizzlies. That’s two consecutive defeats at Staples Center to NBA bottom-feeders (they lost to Charlotte on Wednesday), and if it’s not time to panic … we can see it from here. Kobe Bryant scored 53, but the rest of the Lakers didn’t […]

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Perhaps you saw it, or read about it: Kobe Bryant, ejected from the Lakers’ loss to the Charlotte Bobcats at Staples Center on Wednesday night. He picked up two technical fouls in a 30-second span late in the game and was sent to the locker room. That makes 15 technical fouls this season, and if […]

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