As many of us saw over the holidays, Shaq demonstrated the ultimate blowoff, by failing to even acknowledge the presence of Kobe Bryant on the court prior to tip-off.  In this on-going saga between the two superstars, this not-so-subtle slight was as cold-blooded as it comes.  For weeks  the media had wondered how these two would respond to each other  Christmas Day, on national TV.  The question was answered silently, but quite deafeningly. You can either applaud Shaq for not being a phony, or condemn him for not being able to bury the hatchet.  In no way am I a Kobe fan, (just read my personal info.) but I think I have to side with him on this latest incident.  That's hard for me to admit.

     Shaq's actions made me recall a segment on the ESPN classic station, that I saw some time ago.  I don't remember all the details, but it went something like this. A sports psychologist had created a profile on the big center.  He had analyzed O'Neil's character traits and developed a rating of sorts for him.  This was used to try and understand the conflicts that he first had with Penny Hardaway in Orlando, and then later with Kobe in L.A.  I found the information insightful.

     Basically Shaq was described as an individual who not only craves, but also needs public accolades.  He needs others to attest to his greatness.  His sense of self is based more on what others think of him, and not so much what he thinks of himself.  You can accept this opinion as accurate or consider it to be hogwash.  Whatever you choose, Shaq's actions seem to support the theory created by the doctor.

     As we all recall, Shaq was once the man in Orlando.  He was literally the biggest thing to hit the NBA since Wilt the Stilt.  Then along came Penny.  Together they took the Magic to the promised land of the league finals in 1995,  only to be quickly dispatched by  the Houston Rockets. If you remember, that Rockets team had a pretty good center of their own.  Immediately speculation began concerning who was more important to the team, Shaq or Penny.  To make matters worse, those "Lil Penny" ads were everywhere.  Many fans loved those commercials, including myself.  Perhaps in Shaq's eyes, that publicity somehow lessened his contributions and achievements.  Whatever the case may be, he left town for the Lakers.  Penny was left to carry the franchise alone, and he was not enough  to keep the team at an elite level.  In Shaq's eyes, he probably proved he was the real reason for the Magic's success.  In Orlando, the fans probably felt betrayed by his ego.

     Act two occured in L.A.  Shaq arrived intent on bringing the Lakers back to their past glory.  He immediately established the proud franchise as contenders once again.  It was not however until another young guard, Kobe of course, became the perfect complement to The Diesel.  Together they went on to become a dynasty, paving the way to multiple championships.  Unfortunately, these two could not co-exist either.  As Yogi Berra would say, it became "Deja Vu All Over Again".   Once more the question arose:  Who was more responsible for the success of the franchise?  Shaq or Kobe? Another soap opera had developed. The truth of the matter is, who cares?  They both were equally important.  The evidence is, that without each other, the franchise has once more fallen on hard times.  Yet again, another group of fans have reason to feel betrayed by Shaq's departure to a different franchise.  

     Now that Shaq is in Miami, is Dwayne Wade and "Act Three" next?  I personally don't think so, because now Shaq needs him.  This is the only case where the guard was there first.   Shaq went to South Beach to complement a star guard for a change.  Maybe this was his way of drawing the heat (no pun intended) off his back.  He can show that he is able to have an amicable relationship with a co-star.  Those prior issues really weren't his fault, were they? If the Heat manage to win a title, others can only say good things about Shaq.  Something to the effect that "Wade was great but he needed the Big Guy".  This move, just like the move to L.A., seems very calculated to me.  How better to further have his greatness personified, by both the media and the public, than to win a title in Miami?

     Was the sports psychologist right on the mark with Shaq, about his need for public opinion?  Is he immature and child-like in his desire to have his greatness notorized? I can't say for sure, I'm no shrink.  All I can say is that Shaq's actions have done little to dismiss the theory.  I'm no fan of Kobe and his lifestyle, both on and off the court.  In this case however, I do feel inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt and consider him to be the bigger man, if just slightly.  He did after all allegedly reference Shaq's womenizing when he was in police custody, directly after his rape allegations.  At this point though, he seems to be the more willing of the two, to lay the matter to rest.

     I have one message for Shaq.  You are great, everyone thinks you're great.......Now just let it go.