Defending Shaq

I have been doing a lot of defending Shaq lately: from my girlfriend, my friends, my mailman, even some of the guys down at the bar. Ridiculous. Everyone has to bitch about something - his free throw shooting, he's old, he's got no outside shot...even my own father said he was the 'biggest con-man in the NBA' for fooling everyone into getting paid $20 million a year.

I can almost here Dr. Evil say that sum of money.

In fact, I used to say the same things - when Shaq didn't play on my team, of course. From the time he was first drafted to the Magic (at which time I was a fan of the Heat and didn't like my cross state rival getting noveau-riche because of one player) to the Lakers, where I scoffed at Phil Jackson's claims that Shaq didn't get enough foul calls.

Then Shaq limps on over to the Heat, and instantly all my ignorance was lifted. For I certainly was blind.

I am not going to go off and describe how Shaq's effect on the game is so important that he is the real MVP in the NBA every season. I could fortify this with stats, notably the success of players like Penny, Kobe and Wade, that could show how Shaq has elevated the stakes for not only himself, but for his teammates as well. But that is boring and has been done before.

And frankly, if you don't get it by now, you just ain't gonna get it. Not today, not ever.

Instead, I am going to put it all out there - on Shaq. I am going to let the Big Fella do the talking once and for all.

In tonight's game 6, the stage is set. The Heat have rolled off three straight wins in Miami and are poised to take the series tonight. Mark Cuban and his Dallas Bitchers have done a fair share of whining and complaining that will most certainly have an effect on how this game will be called. You can expect some calls to go the Mavs way, since they will be at home, but after the amount of complaining - something I haven't seen outside of the French media - you got to feel like the Heat have no chance.

But they do - and it will all come down to Shaq. It is all on his broad shoulders. Everyone is complaining, now, that he is too much of a physical freak. Shaq relies too much on his ability to outmuscle his opponents. That somehow, being bigger, stronger and faster does not have any place in sports.

Fools. Sure, it is not a skill that can be taught - which is PRECISELY why Shaq is so important.

Tonight, he has to get it done. Tonight, he has to abuse Dampier and Diop like they are wookies. Tonight, he has to answer all the doubters, all the haters, and bring that championship trophy back to Miami - to the team that actually fights to win, as opposed to bitching about officiating and making outlandish conspiracy theories.

Tonight, it all falls on Shaq. When he arrived in Miami, July 14th 2004, he said, "I'm going to bring a championship to Miami." Well, he has a chance to deliver on that; and not since the Babe have we ever seen a more bold gesture predicted and delivered, if pulled off. And seeing as how high the stakes already are, it can only validate how big his game truly is.