by Andrew on Thu Feb 26, 2004 3:21 pm
It's a typical Shaq response. When Dennis Rodman commented that Shaq doesn't get as many rebounds as he should, the Diesel responded with "Me responding to Rodman is like talking to a Bugs Bunny doll. I don't talk to Looney Tunes". While that's a nice comeback, Rodman's assessment wasn't without merit.
Sure, the Worm's personality is...somewhat unique. But he knows a thing or two about grabbing a lot of rebounds. While Shaq's rebounding numbers are definitely not unimpressive, it's worth noting that despite his size, strength, talent and knowledge of the game, he doesn't have Rodman-like averages (a career high of 18.7 rpg in 1991/1992).
I do think that Shaq went a little overboard with his comments though. Steve Kerr wasn't a superstar, but he wasn't a bad player, and he did contribute to the second Bulls Threepeat (including the most important shot of the 1997 season). And in a way, he was lucky to be part of such a great team. But if he had nothing to contribute, he wouldn't have been in the regular rotation, he wouldn't have been on the playoff roster, and he might not even be on the team.
I disagree that Kerr cannot comment on killer instinct becomes it's something he may not personally have. As Stevan observed, he played alongside Michael Jordan, so he's familiar with the notion of a killer instinct in an athlete. A big part of that is a competitive nature, and to me it seems Shaq doesn't always seem to have that. He seems to get bored halfway through the season, and he dismisses criticisms of his game by mocking whoever made the comments, suggesting he's content with his game.
Compare that to other players who always tried to maintain a standard of excellence, to lift their game and consistently managed to top their performances. I'm referring not only to MJ, but to all the great players, like Bird, Magic, Isiah, Hakeem and many more through the 56 years the NBA has been in existence. I don't think Shaq has the same kind of killer instinct that those players possessed.
But, I also disagree with Kerr. We've seen Shaq turn it up before, completely dominate his opponents. We've seen him battle his way through the NBA season to help his team be the best in the league. But he seems to lose that focus and determination at times. So I don't think Kerr is completely accurate in his assessment, but I kind of agree that Shaq doesn't have the same drive that other great players have shown.
So I think they're underestimating each other. Kerr doesn't see the same killer instinct he witnessed as a teammate of Michael Jordan, but to suggest Shaq doesn't have the will to dominate (most of the time) is to underestimate his determination and mental toughness. At the same time, for Shaq to completely dismiss Kerr's comments is to underestimate Kerr's knowledge of the game, what he has learned in over a decade in the NBA and the observations that he has made.
(Y)
