Wednesday, February 15th, 2012 at 9:00 am  |  119 responses

Shaq: Dwight Howard Leaving Orlando Would Be a ‘Travesty’


by Marcel Mutoni / @marcel_mutoni

Sixteen years ago, Shaquille O’Neal turned his back on the Orlando Magic, and took his enormous talents and personality to the City of Angels. Having somehow lucked out into the premiere young big man in the NBA, Orlando is on the verge of losing him to brighter lights once agan.

According to Shaq, if (when) Magic center Dwight Howard leaves, it would be a “travesty”.

The Orlando Sentinel has the quotes:

No one doubts that speculation about Dwight Howard’s uncertain future will a primary storyline of All-Star weekend in Orlando on Feb. 24-26. But how much, if at all, will all that talk about Howard overshadow what’s supposed to be a joyous time? That question was posed to TNT/NBA TV analyst Shaquille O’Neal during a Turner Sports teleconference Tuesday with reporters.

“I think it’s going to be about 50-50,” said O’Neal, who still owns a home in Isleworth. “But all around, I think it’s going to be a great event … Orlando’s come a long way since the ’92 All-Star Game,” O’Neal added. “The nightlife here is fabulous. The real estate has been fabulous. You still have Disney around the corner for you to bring your family. So I think it’s going to be a great event. It’d be good if he could put on a show and get the love and the support from the fans here and win the MVP. Hopefully, he stays, because that arena there is one of the best arenas in the country. If he leaves, it’ll be a travesty.”

The irony in all of this is delicious.

Dwight Howard leaving Orlando isn’t a travesty, or any such nonsense. He has given the franchise seven great seasons, and if he feels that he can’t win a title there (or reach all of his off-the-court dreams), then he has every right to leave. Just like Shaq did.

It’s not a travesty. But it sure does suck for the Orlando Magic and their fans.

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  • truth

    first poop heads

  • Justin G.

    Rather hypocritical to say the least

  • http://www.optimabbc.be Max

    Shaq; you were great as a player, but please retire your analist career allready…

  • http://www.twitter.com/hurstysyd Hursty

    LMAO @ Max. You’re aware you spelt ‘analyst’ very, very wrong I hope..?

  • Bt

    Read shaqs book and you’ll find the circumstances are very different. They didn’t want to pay him more than penny and their offer was not close to the lakers.

  • http://www.twitter.com_dfrance dfrance21

    Shaq’s career at TNT has been a travesty.

  • bull22

    i think what shaq is trying to say indirectly is, that he probably regrets leaving orlando.. however he did help bring a city their first nba title in miami so he gets a free pass to say what he wants.

  • Paul H

    I miss Chris Webber. Funny, intelligent, forthright analysis, not the pathetic rumblings of a guy who just cant accept that he is no longer the leagues center of attention anymore.

  • http://www.fullc0urtpress.com KHoliday

    Shaq retiring was the worst thing that could’ve happened to basketball! Every time I look up he’s saying something crazy now! I should’ve known not to pay attention to him after he said Mo Williams should be an all star this year.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    Hursty
    I don’t think spelt is a word homie. Just like analist.
    And Shaq is a hating bum. It’s pretty obvious now to everyone.

  • http://www.optimabbc.be Max

    No I didn’t lol, analyst* it is.

  • http://outlaw.com bo outlaw

    actually, spelt is a word; it’s the (british) preterite of to spell. peace

  • Fletch213

    Shaq really needs to quit his analysis jig because he is terribly biased and annoying!

  • VCsuxA$$

    i just thought Max meant analist as in anal-ist.. really, shaq’s the largest ass in the world, pun intended

  • ti-sizzle

    VCsuxA$$ was me.. Slam, I usually don’t mind because I usually notice the name and email before posting (didn’t this time), but please have it fixed

  • http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=6lqqc4t nbk

    Chris Webber >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
    Bitter Ass Shaq

  • Fat Lever

    Hahahaha at Max and then Hursty. “Very, very wrong”. HAHAHAHAH. On the real though, my likability for Shaq has gone down faster than a Kardashian at the ESPY’s. Ba-Zing!

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    British people really say “spelt”? I had no idea. Good to know.

  • http://www.twitter.com_dfrance dfrance21

    CWebb definitely should have gotten that 4th spot on Inside. I love his prespective on the game.

  • burnt_chicken

    You may be delighted to know that ‘spelt’ is also a nutty-flavoured, high protein, ancient grain that is native to Iran. Much like wheat. Often used for animal feed, not recommended for gluten-sensitive diets. Also, if I am not mistaken, ‘spelt’ is used throughout the Commonwealth countries, not just by the British, as a simple past tense and past participle of ‘spell’.

  • burnt_chicken

    Shaq said Dwight hates spelt and thinks spelt “is dumb”

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    that is a terrific fact that almost nobody knows. well idk if almost nobody knows that, but I feel that way lol.

  • robb

    Shaq being called an analyst is as ridiculous as Barkley being called a nutriologist. Give CWebb a permanent spot, he really knows his stuff and he’s funny too.

  • ClydeSays

    Seems like Shaq should have taken a pass on this one… And yeah, I miss CWebb & GP. “Rondoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!”

  • Paul H

    I’m Irish and I would have used “spelt” as well. Not just the brits.

  • fitzy

    @Allen P. So do canadians

  • http://www.tampax.com doyouwantmore

    As a Canadian, allow me to say that fitzy is full of crap.

  • http://twitter.com/alan__ryan izzo

    Spelt is a perfectly cromulent word.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    We don’t say spelt in America. At least not if you don’t want to be considered uncouth.
    We say spelled here. I should have known all the countries where the Queen owns all the land would use that spelling.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    And nice use of cromulent, I was unfamiliar with that word as well.

  • http://www.nba.com Red

    Bunch of bullocks if u ask me

  • Sam

    It probably would be a travesty if Dwight left Orlando but only for Orlando. If everybody is going to stick with the conceit that the league is driven by TV ratings, Dwight Howard playing in Brooklyn would be the best thing that could happen to the NBA.

  • Paul H

    @AllenP, You are aware that the Republic of Ireland Is a country independent of the UK, and that the Queen of England Is a constitutional monarchy with no discernible powers, or control, other than those afforded to her by an elected government?

  • burnt_chicken

    “…all the countries where the Queen owns all the land” is a highly inflammatory remark and a really strange dig. Obviously, (goes without saying?) untrue.

  • http://juan.garcia@computershare.com POW

    Wake up! Ireland is just another commonwealth.

  • DerekG

    Shaq is like crap that won’t flush…a complete and utter nuisance. Why won’t he just shut his mouth? Is there a bigger hypocrite alive than Shaq? That list must be VERY short!

  • Paul H

    @Pow, Are you for real mate? People like yourself feed the stereotype (unjustified and not my opinion) that Americans are ignorant of things outside their own country. F*ck you mate.

  • Salty

    The travesty is that night life and real estate is what is Shaq’s rationale for staying. I love the NBA but I can’t stand the players. Bunch of shallow clowns.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    I wasn’t trying to inflame. I was pointing out a shocking factoid I read in this book titled “Who owns the world” or something like that. It was a look at how land is owned throughout the world, and it was in that book where i learned that the Queen technically owns all the property in countries claimed by Britain at one point, even if they are independent countries now. Like Canada. Maybe Ireland wasn’t on the list though. And if saying it was is an insult I apologize, I had no idea. I just thought it was curious that nobody in Britain and these other countries actually owns property, they just lease it from the crown.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    This is what I was referring too, it shocked me when I learned about it:Queen Elizabeth II, head of state of the United Kingdom and of 31 other states and territories, is the legal owner of about 6,600 million acres of land, one sixth of the earth’s non ocean surface.

    She is the only person on earth who owns whole countries, and who owns countries that are not her own domestic territory. This land ownership is separate from her role as head of state and is different from other monarchies where no such claim is made – Norway, Belgium, Denmark etc.

  • Rik Smits Mullet

    cosign bt.
    Reading shaqs book made me look differently to the orlando situation.

  • http://www.twitter.com_dfrance dfrance21

    “F*ck you mate!” Man, I love this site.

  • http://twitter.com/alan__ryan izzo

    Allenp is a known racist.

  • VL 2012

    It’s strange those words are coming from Shaq…

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    I see that Ireland is no longer in the Commonwealth realm, and it’ s a pretty big deal. Sorry about that mistake folks.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    It’s true Izzo, it’s very true.

  • davidR

    i love that we’re talking about europe in a thread about shaq. slam is the one

  • LA Huey

    “Who gives a f*ck about an Oxford Comma?”

  • ratguts

    Man, oh man. What a conversation.

  • Paul H

    There’s nothing an Irish person hates more than being called British, except for maybe acknowledging that the money grabbing, parasitic waste of fu*king space known as the Queen still draws breath. If that sounds harsh and hateful It was meant as such. Sorry for being touchy lads.

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