Deuce
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http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/3756354
Shaq returns to L.A., tweaks rookie Bynum
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FOXSports.com
Posted: 1 hour ago
Shaquille O'Neal returned to Los Angeles recently with some colorful things to say ? as you might expect.
O'Neal ventured back to his old haunts (where he played for eight seasons) to host a Hollywood auto show, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times. And he promptly gave himself a new nickname: "Dr. Shaq."
Lakers rookie Andrew Bynum, seen here during Summer Pro League play, should already know better than to engage Shaq in a verbal spat. (Juan Ocampo / Getty Images)
The veteran center recently earned a master's degree from the University of Phoenix, and said he plans to earn his doctorate in psychology, criminology or sports psychology.
But has Shaq become an intellectual snob?
When asked about Andrew Bynum, the Lakers' 17-year-old draft pick, O'Neal told The Times, "Tell him Shaq doesn't respond to juvenile delinquents without a college degree. Tell him to get his degree and we can talk. In the meantime, he should call me Dr. Shaq because I'm working on my PhD."
When the Lakers drafted Bynum, the high school big man invited a comparison to O'Neal, with one exception ? he makes his free throws, which might be what elicited Shaq's sharp rebuke. And while he is young for the NBA, Bynum does not have a criminal record.
As for basketball matters, O'Neal is entering the final year of a three-year contract extension he signed before the Lakers traded him. He is reportedly closing in on a contract extension with the Heat.
Is Shaq worried?
Not really.
"We understand business, and we understand leverage," said O'Neal, scheduled to make $30.6 million next season. "We'd just like to do it in a professional manner."
O'Neal was traded to Miami last July 14 for Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, Brian Grant and Miami's 2006 first-round pick.
Shaq returns to L.A., tweaks rookie Bynum
Story Tools: Print Email
FOXSports.com
Posted: 1 hour ago
Shaquille O'Neal returned to Los Angeles recently with some colorful things to say ? as you might expect.
O'Neal ventured back to his old haunts (where he played for eight seasons) to host a Hollywood auto show, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times. And he promptly gave himself a new nickname: "Dr. Shaq."
Lakers rookie Andrew Bynum, seen here during Summer Pro League play, should already know better than to engage Shaq in a verbal spat. (Juan Ocampo / Getty Images)
The veteran center recently earned a master's degree from the University of Phoenix, and said he plans to earn his doctorate in psychology, criminology or sports psychology.
But has Shaq become an intellectual snob?
When asked about Andrew Bynum, the Lakers' 17-year-old draft pick, O'Neal told The Times, "Tell him Shaq doesn't respond to juvenile delinquents without a college degree. Tell him to get his degree and we can talk. In the meantime, he should call me Dr. Shaq because I'm working on my PhD."
When the Lakers drafted Bynum, the high school big man invited a comparison to O'Neal, with one exception ? he makes his free throws, which might be what elicited Shaq's sharp rebuke. And while he is young for the NBA, Bynum does not have a criminal record.
As for basketball matters, O'Neal is entering the final year of a three-year contract extension he signed before the Lakers traded him. He is reportedly closing in on a contract extension with the Heat.
Is Shaq worried?
Not really.
"We understand business, and we understand leverage," said O'Neal, scheduled to make $30.6 million next season. "We'd just like to do it in a professional manner."
O'Neal was traded to Miami last July 14 for Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, Brian Grant and Miami's 2006 first-round pick.
Dang is it possible to hold his nutts any tighter? Gessh!
