Kepping Shaq happy is worth the risk: Shaquille O'Neal is just like you and I. All he wants from his bosses is recognition, respect and an eight-figure payday to show they mean it

Sporting News, The, June 24, 2005 by Sean Deveney

Last August, Heat president Pat Riley told reporters that the issue that drove a wedge between center Shaquille O'Neal and the Lakers would not resurface in Miami. The wedge was a big one--no, not Kobe Bryant but O'Neal's desire for an extension to his already enormous contract.

Whether he wanted it as a sign of recognition or as a way to lord his dominance over Bryant or out of simple enthusiasm for capitalism, the extension was the driving force behind O'Neal's departure from L.A.

Riley was lucky the Lakers wouldn't pay up. They should have. Shaq's arrival in Los Angeles rescued the post-Magic Johnson Lakers from obscurity, helped secure three titles (plus the Staples Center) and made the team glamorous. Riley figured O'Neal could do that in Miami. "We have to make sure we keep Shaq here and healthy for the next four or five years," Riley said.

The healthy part of Riley's assertion might be a challenge, but the here part is ready to be resolved. O'Neal missed nine games because injuries this season and for the first time in his career battled bodily damage in the postseason. Thanks to a mysterious thigh bruise suffered at the end of the regular season, O'Neal's playoff numbers (19.4 points and 7.8 rebounds) were well below his previous postseason average (27.2 points and 12.9 rebounds).

But still, O'Neal delivered much of what was promised this season--he added energy to the franchise, drew sellout crowds, attracted national attention and was his usual sterling self in the community. Oh, and he delivered an MVP-caliber season and 59 victories. Now, the Heat must deliver.

Sure, in the playoffs, Shaq wasn't Shaq. He dragged his injured leg around as if he were a peg-legged pirate and never established himself as the team's go-to guy. That leads to familiar ponderings on O'Neal. He's entering the last year of his contract and is eligible for a three-year extension worth about $111 million. He is 33, and three more years would put him under contract past his 37th birthday. He has been in the league 13 seasons and seemingly has injured every muscle/bone/joint his two legs can offer.

O'Neal will be reasonable when it comes to his extension. He won't require the max. But it likely will cost the Heat in the range of three years and $75 million. Is it worth it? Can the franchise afford to pay O'Neal $25 million when he's 36?

For Lakers owner Jerry Buss last summer, the answer was "No." But for the Heat and owner Micky Arison, the answer simply must be "Yup." And, at some point this summer, it will be.

Next season is Miami's best bet for a championship. O'Neal will have a chance to play a healthy season, and Dwyane Wade figures to get better. Bringing back O'Neal without an extension would turn O'Neal sour, and this Heat team is too fragile, too Shaq-centered in the locker room, to withstand a ticked-off or even mildly grumpy O'Neal.

The Heat got within a game--within three minutes--of The Finals. After next season, Miami's championship chances will diminish as O'Neal ages, but if the Heat can win just one title, then this whole O'Neal experiment will be a resounding success. And, really, it already has been a success, even without the championship.

Admittedly, we in the media are good at telling owners to spend big money on a player, then, when the contract becomes a salary cap albatross, we're good at pointing out what a dumb thing it was to give the player that contract. That might happen in three years if O'Neal is on the injured list and the Heat can't sign free agents because of his contract.

But we need to remember that Shaq in black gave this franchise an enormous boost. For that, the Heat must--and will--come up with the extension for O'Neal.

STILL FINE WITH AGE

The Heat might not cool off just because Shaquille O'Neal is aging,
considering the performance of other great modern centers. Two years
ago, after he turned 31, his production diminished drastically, but he
still averaged 22.9 points and 10.4 rebounds.

If Shaq signs a three-year extension, he will be signed for six years
beyond his 31st birthday. In comparing how five other greats fared in
six seasons after turning 31, points and rebounds generally fell off,
but the numbers still were good. However, the ability of the big guys
to stay free of injury dropped.Player

Player                     Points   Rebounds   Games

Kareem         Before 31   29.2     15.1       77
Abdul-Jabbar   After 31    23.7     10.9       79.5
Patrick        Before 31   23.7     10.2       75.1
Ewing          After 31    22.6     10.7       62.7
Hakeem         Before 31   23.7     12.5       75.6
Olajuwon       After 31    21.8      9.6       60.5
Robert         Before 31   16.6      9.9       78.4
Parish         After 31    16.7     10.3       78.8
David          Before 31   25.6     11.8       79.6
Robinson       After 31    16.3      9.4       60.1

speed reads

The Bulls want to test Eddy Curry's DNA to see whether he has a condition that could lead to a heart attack. Chicago's motives have been questioned, and the issue of privacy has become a priority. But this is a life-or-death situation-think Hank Gathers, think Reggie Lewis. What if Curry decides to keep playing and dies on the court but could have been spared if he'd been tested? The Bulls could test the DNA and confine the results strictly to information on his heart.