Shaq explains his comments on Rondo

The Big Shamrock talks a little more about the possible effect of his words on former teammates:

SLAM: Did you intend for a lot of the pieces of your book to come off as jabs at guys you’ve played with, like Rondo for instance?

SHAQ: Everything that is said, or read, has its own interpretation. People interpret things their own way, which I understand. But what they don’t understand is, they’re going to help put me on the bestseller’s list. Those guys know me, and everybody knows me—I don’t take cheap shots. Anything I say in the book, I will say in your face. This is just a reflection, being reflective on what has happened. And I wasn’t being mad at Rondo, I just thought that when the President said, “Teach this kid how to shoot,” that maybe that affected him. And that’s my opinion, I’m not taking shots. A lot of guys, especially the ESPN guys, those guys have personalities and have followers, so if they talk about something spicy, then it makes them important. “Look what Shaq said.” But those guys have no validity. It’s all just a reflection, this book. And hey, anybody who got a problem, come to Shaq.com [smiles]. Holla back.

As I have mentioned before, I truly believe Shaq was just telling his career experiences in his autobiography, and he may have highlighted some anecdotes or even embellished them for marketing purposes. He admits the critics will grant him more success with the release of his book, so he more than welcomes them.


Furthermore, no reaction from any former teammate of O'Neal has been made public, what may indicative of them being ok with this business strategy. My bet is that everyone knows already what Shaq thinks about Kobe, James, Rondo and the rest of the league and they also know that O'Neal is part of the league's entertainment. He is also a showman and his words should be taken within its context. I am sure there's no beef between the current Celtics and Shaq. And if so, I guess we will hear about it soon.