Fans Pounce When O’Neal Fails to Deliver

Sure, Shaquille O’Neal promised his Heat teammates he’d win a championship for them, but he didn’t say when. I can hear Shaq telling the Heat, “Wait till next year.”

I can also hear the Lakers saying, “Wait till the next decade.”

Joe Lyou

Santa Paula

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Shaq has said that the Pistons beating the Lakers while not double teaming him last year was the biggest upset in the history of the NBA playoffs. If that is true, then the Pistons’ beating the Heat is the second biggest because the Pistons did not double team Shaq again.

Larry Brown has exposed Shaq’s age and weaknesses: he can no longer cover the pick and roll, he cannot come out on shooters like McDyess, can no longer get offensive rebounds, cannot run on the fastbreak, is no longer a shot blocker and cannot stay healthy an entire season. Laker fans have watched Shaq’s skill and health decline over the last three seasons while his ego and self-promotion have grown proportionately.

Shaq, you will make the Hall of Fame but please stop trying to tell us that you are the greatest ever.

Mannie Barling

Tarzana

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Let us hope that Detroit’s victory over Miami, despite the Heat having home-court advantage, will persuade Shaq to shut his mouth until at least the start of the new season. I am so very tired of reading that Miami is the best team that Shaq has ever played for, and that Dwyane Wade is the second coming of Michael Jordan.

Ralph S. Brax

Lancaster

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After watching Shaq not touch the ball near the end of Game 7 against Detroit, it occurred to me: He didn’t have to go to Miami to find teammates who wouldn’t give him the ball. He had that here.

David Lewis

Long Beach

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At least Shaq couldn’t pin that vacation-inducing Game 7 loss on Kobe, Dr. Buss, or the city of Los Angeles.

Dwyane Wade, watch your back. We’ve seen it all here already.

Mark J. Featherstone

Windsor Hills

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Now that Shaq has proved that he can’t carry a team, will all the Shaq lovers get off Kobe and Dr. Buss? Dr. Buss traded Shaq when he had some value. Now Miami is stuck with a broken down Shaq who can’t even average 10 rebounds.

After all, everybody knows that Miami is where people go to retire.

Willis Barton

Los Angeles

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In 2000, upon receiving the NBA’s most-valuable-player award, Shaquille O’Neal declared, “From this day forward, I want to be known as the Big Aristotle.”

Could he possibly have known that it was Aristotle who initially formed our concept of tragedy?

Justin Duncan

Los Angeles