Let me explain something to you. I used to love Shaq. This perhaps is not a big surprise considering that I'm a lifetime Lakers fan. But understand this, when my high school buddies were lauding the lithe game of Kobe, I was hating on the Mamba for driving a wedge into our team at all times. Of course I love or perhaps more accurately empathize with New Kobe, but that's a different story. The point is I defended Shaq 'til I was blue in the face. I pointed to his joviality and the camaraderie he instilled in the team. I pointed to the 15 point quarters he'd regularly throw up. I'd point to the cross-overs he'd break out a couple times a season (on Brad Miller) or when the Daddy led the break. I even went so far as to emulate his free-throw shooting style. But I never defended his thespian turns. Never that.
Now, perhaps all my opinions have been reconsidered. After Shaq has unerringly created a wake of teams he's worn away from, after he's become the only superstar journeyman (Orlando, LA, Miami, Phoenix, and now Cleveland...the first cold city for Shaqtus, could he pull a Rubio?), after his ceaseless speaking of the Truth turned to verbal diarrhea, I admittedly have grown a bit tired of the Big Name-is-Bigger-than-Game. I don't need to know how his ass tastes, because I know the sound his face makes. With this in mind, Shaq's latest bid for histrionic-est player ever comes as a welcome reminder of why I loved him in the first place: his humor. It was a wise choice too to make the video statement without his own words. Cut the diarrhea like Imodium A-D. Your actions, or act-ing, can speak much more elegantly than your words, Shaquille.
The video is hilarious. It follows Shaq on an evidently emotional car ride as he sings along to Akon's 'Over the Edge.' Shaq puts the car in park several times to jump out and let his real emotions show. It was posted via twitter when the trade to Cleveland was confirmed, along with the line, "this is how I really feel about the trade." At the beginning, you can't tell if he's showing tracks of tears, or if he's just sweating. But by the end, he's wiping his eyes, and you know he's at least feigning some real emotion here. The best is when Shaq rocks out and really goes "over the edge" for the last minute or so of the vid.
Now, it's obvious that Shaq's being silly with it, and pretending to be more hurt by his expulsion from the desert than he probably really is. However, from Shaq's overly revealing twitter hits from the past, and from all the trouble he gets in for voicing his rather bratty emotions, it's apparent Shaq's a little more sensitive than he lets on. He covers with humor, as do so many of us. The great thing about this gesture is that it allows him to show he's recognizes the bittersweet undertone to his leaving the Suns without totally trashing on the new experiences that will be afforded by this trade. Nicely done Big. Perhaps I underrated your acting abilities. Perhaps I am intrigued by the dangling bait of "Shaqology coming soon" at the end of the vid. Perhaps I'll find redemption for my once thriving Shaq fanship while you pursue that fifth in Cleveland. You got the world to watch you Shaq. Here's hoping you do something worthwhile with it.
In or out of basketball, and let's also hope you don't conflate the two...too much. (head-lining vid courtesy of NBA Fanhouse)
The video is hilarious. It follows Shaq on an evidently emotional car ride as he sings along to Akon's 'Over the Edge.' Shaq puts the car in park several times to jump out and let his real emotions show. It was posted via twitter when the trade to Cleveland was confirmed, along with the line, "this is how I really feel about the trade." At the beginning, you can't tell if he's showing tracks of tears, or if he's just sweating. But by the end, he's wiping his eyes, and you know he's at least feigning some real emotion here. The best is when Shaq rocks out and really goes "over the edge" for the last minute or so of the vid.
In or out of basketball, and let's also hope you don't conflate the two...too much.
