From: ortcm@cbnewsm.cb.att.com (thomas.mcguigan)
Subject: Re: Shaquille O'Neal interview
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: usa
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1992 14:31:13 GMT
Keywords: Shaquille O'Neal

In article <1992Aug31.053957.28254@leland.Stanford.EDU> terry@garfield.Stanford.EDU (Terry Wong) writes:
>However, he said that the other players on the team demonstrated
>tremendous teamwork by redoing their contracts.  He said that if the team
>could work together as well during the season, the Magic would be a good
>team.  (I wonder what the other players thought of this kind of teamwork :).)

My impression is that the team is solidly behind this.  Remember, they weren't
redoing their contracts just to sign Shaq - they were redoing them to sign Shaq
and match the offer sheet on Roberts.  Shaq has impressed me with the attitude
he has dsiplayed thus far.  No words about this being "his" team, no feeling
that everyone else was just "supporting cast."  He worked very hard during at
the Big Man's Camp (in addition he arranged to attend the camp on his own
initiative and paid his own way - the Magic had nothing to do with it) and
impressed the entire staff of the camp with his coachability and work ethic.
He seems to know he has a lot to learn, wants to learn, and is willing to make
the effort necessary to really take advantage of his opportunities.

>Shaq also said that he will be wearing No. 32 this year, instead of his
>preferred 33.  He wanted to wear 33 because this is the number that Kareem had
>and Patrick Ewing has.  However, a current member of the Magic already wears
>33, so he defered to him, because he didn't want to make any waves.

True.  Terry Catledge wears 33.  Pat Williams thought Catledge had agreed to
give up 33 to Shaq, so he gave Shaq the 33 jersey on draft night.  Catledge
thought that Williams only wanted the number for draft night as a publicity
gimmick.  This issue assumed irrational proportions here in Orlando, with a
number of people criticizing O'Neal for trying to take away Catledge's
number (he didn't).  I think O'Neal handled the matter with a great deal of
dignity.  I hope Williams apologized.  BTW, Catledge was the last team member
to agree to restructure his contract - his comment "I don't want to be the 
one that kept this from happening."

>He said that he's looking forward to playing with former LSU teammate, Stanley
>Roberts again.  However, he doesn't know how the Magic plan to use both of
>them together.  He said that one thing he definitely does not want to do is
>play power forward in a twin towers setup.

I don't see Orlando playing the twin towers on a regular basis.  Neither Shaq
nor Roberts is a PF, so, especially if Brian Williams comes back with a clean
bill of health, I think the Goukas will look for other options.  The real 
problem that I see is in dividing the playing time between Shaq and Roberts.
We have to give Stanley enough time to keep him in shape and to showcase him
for a trade.  This could end up hurting Shaq in the ROY competition.  I hope
that Orlando, Roberts and <?> can agree on a trade before the season starts.

One final item - I really like the fact that O'Neal has a good sense of humor.
(Too many dead serious types out there).  When asked about what he wanted to
do after the contract was signed, O'Neal mentioned that it was in his contract
that he could not go motorcycling or skydiving, but that he was interested in
bungee jumping and the contract didn't mention he couldn't.  He wondered what
Pat Williams feelings on the matter would be.

Tom@Orlando
Newsgroups: rec.sport.basketball.pro