“I don’t think [Riley] meant me and Shawn are Michael and Scottie. He meant that’s the kind of attention we can bring to the organization and each other [as] a one-two punch.”
DEERFIELD Pat Riley probably caused Bulls fans to snicker with a comparison he made recently. via Northwest Herald
“It’s been kind of stagnant all season”
New Jersey Nets’ Jason Kidd reacts during the fourth quarter of Game 3 against the Miami Heat in second-round NBA playoffs basketball ini this May 12, 2006 file photo, in East Rutherford, N.J. Kidd appears … via Tuscaloosa News
The disappointing Miami Heat will try to snap a seven-game skid this evening, when they wrap up a short homestand versus the Denver Nuggets at AmericanAirlines Arena. via WKRC-TV Cincinnati
Kobe Bryant scored 33 points to lead the Los Angeles Lakers in a 104-94 road victory over reeling Miami. via KTVN Reno
Antwan Jamison scored 28 points and Brendan Haywood a season-high 21 for the Wizards, who last lost seven in a row from March 5-16, 2004. via The Globe and Mail
Dan Kohn column: O’Neal is out of gas Acquiring Shaquille O’Neal to boost your chances of winning an NBA championship was a good idea - a few years ago. via Appleton Post-Crescent
Shaquille O’Neal loves a challenge. And he says he will feel challenged by those who don’t think he will be able to fit in with his new team, the Phoenix Suns. via WFMY 2 Greensboro
“I’m very excited to be here. I just want to fit in with a damn good team”
The Phoenix Suns formally introduced center Shaquille O’Neal at a Thursday press conference. via 94.5 The Fox
“I’m not going to comment about it right now, because, obviously, it’s nothing that’s been completed”
Even as the Heat’s trade of Shaquille O’Neal moved closer to completion, Heat coach Pat Riley declined this morning to comment on the pending deal. via South Florida Sun-Sentinel
“He is not going to come to Phoenix and lay an egg. He is focused and ready to roll. He wants to show the pundits that this was a great trade.”
The Phoenix Suns acquired Shaquille O’Neal in a stunning, blockbuster deal that sent four-time All-Star Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks to the Miami Heat. via CBS SportsLine
Big names and All-Star caliber players are changing addresses, and it is going to have a big effect on how the Western Conference will be won in the postseason. via SanLuisObispo.com
“Bad basketball. Terrible basketball”
Just a couple of seasons ago, a Miami Heat appearance here would have been the hottest ticket in town. via Oakland Press
Shaquille O’Neal’s record streak of 14 consecutive All-Star selections likely came to an end Thursday with the announcements of the reserves for the Feb. via South Florida Sun-Sentinel
“We’re going to do some evaluation here.”
Five years ago, the Heat played a meaningless regular-season finale at Toronto that it needed to lose in order to improve its lottery seeding.
The Heat still managed to come out ahead.
These days, Pat Riley’s team no longer has to strive for failure - it’s practically automatic.
Its deficit reaching 23 before the end of the opening period, and later climbing to 39, the Heat lost 114-82 Monday night to the Raptors, making it 19 losses in its past 20 games.
‘I’m just waiting for our guys to get tired of taking this,’ Riley said. ‘It’s hard to really tell [someone] you can be competitive unless you play real hard.’ Read more
The Miami Heat have told Shaquille O’Neal and his representation that they should be prepared for him to be traded sometime soon.
According to the Miami Herald, there is a deal in the works that would send Shawn Marion from Phoenix to Miami for the Big Fella.
Marion has an opt-out clause in his contract after this season. Read more
