I played hoops for thirty years. Shaq would be riding the pine with two fouls four minutes into the first quarter if the refs didn't forget how to blow their whistles every time he plowed into a defender trying to hold position. The NBA trashed basketball with their failure to call palming, travelling and offensive fouls - but basketball is more resilient than the NBA, as witnessed by the fact that international teams strong on fundamentals now routinely whip teams of NBA players and that international players are now a major source of talent for the NBA - and arrive ready to play, as opposed to most punks coming in with a couple years of college and poor fundamentals.
Larry Brown, no shrinking violet, was effuse in his praise for Ming when the Rockets whumped the Sixers. Ming doesn't need a special set of rules to score in the NBA. He just plays a calm game that nets a shooting percentage over sixty percent. Eat your heart out, Iverson.
What's next? "Nuke The NBA"? Well...It would solve their Shaq problems wouldn't it?
Welcome to FR. Now, start making sense...
Larry Brown, no shrinking violet, was effuse in his praise for Ming when the Rockets whumped the Sixers. Ming doesn't need a special set of rules to score in the NBA. He just plays a calm game that nets a shooting percentage over sixty percent. Eat your heart out, Iverson.
Boohoo! The NBA is not what it used to be! Guys lack fundamentals. *Sniff* Shaq commits offensive fouls on every play! *whah!*
You and Vlade Divac think alike. Did you fall down on every play when you played defense (for 30 years) too? Comeon? Just to exaggerate the contact? I bet you did. Shaq gets as much punishment as he dishes out. What would you do in a game a street ball with no officials? Cry foul?
Geesh. Haters are everywhere.
BTW: Even though he missed the first 12 games or so of the season Shaq leads the league in field goal percentage (58%). Your boy Yao is number 2.
Ugh...I guess I'll have to get used to doing this...
I've been a member for quite a while. Counting lurking, almost 3 years. I just changed my name because I finially found a description that fits me. (And on this subject, holding someone's sign-up date against them is something I've never done...Except for the obvious DUhhh distruptors, that is. Why do so many people do it? Is it some kind of "Makes me feel like a big man" thing?)
As for "Making sense". Many of these Shaq bashers remind me of the Nuke Mecca crowd. Out of control short sighted morons.
Now...As for your comments on the game, I'll take your word for it...Basketball is one of the few sports I've never played. No real interest. But I do know the game has changed. Like everything else. And I've got to believe that if the rules were turned back 40 years Shaq would adjust and be as dominant as he is today. Well...Unless he was forced to shoot more free throws, that is...