s***@hotmail.com
2005-08-14 17:57:36 UTC
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-heat-shaqspeaksout&prov=ap&type=lgn
s
``Shaq, now that you didn't take all the money, what's next for the
Heat?''
Wade asked, grinning.
``This year,'' O'Neal said, ``there ain't no stoppin' us.''
``I'm getting to the point in my career where I do need firepower,''
O'Neal
said. ``I want my career to be about championships. So I took one for
the
team, and that's what a great team player does. I'm very grateful and
I'm
very honored that (Heat owner) Micky Arison did what he did and I
appreciate
it.''
``We lost a great teammate,'' Wade said. ``But I was also excited
because
the guys coming in can help us get to where we need to go, and that's
to win
a championship.''
``Jason Williams is going to get everybody the ball. He sees
everything.
Antoine is going to shoot the 3. It's going to be fun,'' O'Neal said.
``I'm
very excited. I mean, I can't wait to play the first game and then go
home
and watch the first game.''
``We still could have got it done,'' O'Neal said. ``It just wasn't our
turn.
It just wasn't meant to be. Now you just have to live with that. Like I
said, the thing that happened last year is only going to make us
stronger.
The great Pat Riley has made us stronger.''
``Of course you're surprised after the season we had, a heartbeat away
from
the finals,'' Wade said. ``But you know, Pat Riley seemed to change. He
seemed to change from the year before when we were excited about our
young
team, and it did us good -- so I'm sure this will do us good also.''
O'Neal said he plans to report to training camp weighing about 335
pounds,
or roughly eight more than he played at last season; O'Neal said he
currently weighs 345 with 10 percent body fat. And he tried to distance
himself from the soap opera earlier this season, surrounding rumors
that
Riley was ready to replace Stan Van Gundy as the team's head coach.
``I think it's unfair to both guys,'' O'Neal said. ``And I think it's
unfair
to me, to put me into that. Anytime a coach wants to make a change or
needs
to be changed, my name has been put in there unfairly. I'm staying far
away
from that.''
s
``Shaq, now that you didn't take all the money, what's next for the
Heat?''
Wade asked, grinning.
``This year,'' O'Neal said, ``there ain't no stoppin' us.''
``I'm getting to the point in my career where I do need firepower,''
O'Neal
said. ``I want my career to be about championships. So I took one for
the
team, and that's what a great team player does. I'm very grateful and
I'm
very honored that (Heat owner) Micky Arison did what he did and I
appreciate
it.''
``We lost a great teammate,'' Wade said. ``But I was also excited
because
the guys coming in can help us get to where we need to go, and that's
to win
a championship.''
``Jason Williams is going to get everybody the ball. He sees
everything.
Antoine is going to shoot the 3. It's going to be fun,'' O'Neal said.
``I'm
very excited. I mean, I can't wait to play the first game and then go
home
and watch the first game.''
``We still could have got it done,'' O'Neal said. ``It just wasn't our
turn.
It just wasn't meant to be. Now you just have to live with that. Like I
said, the thing that happened last year is only going to make us
stronger.
The great Pat Riley has made us stronger.''
``Of course you're surprised after the season we had, a heartbeat away
from
the finals,'' Wade said. ``But you know, Pat Riley seemed to change. He
seemed to change from the year before when we were excited about our
young
team, and it did us good -- so I'm sure this will do us good also.''
O'Neal said he plans to report to training camp weighing about 335
pounds,
or roughly eight more than he played at last season; O'Neal said he
currently weighs 345 with 10 percent body fat. And he tried to distance
himself from the soap opera earlier this season, surrounding rumors
that
Riley was ready to replace Stan Van Gundy as the team's head coach.
``I think it's unfair to both guys,'' O'Neal said. ``And I think it's
unfair
to me, to put me into that. Anytime a coach wants to make a change or
needs
to be changed, my name has been put in there unfairly. I'm staying far
away
from that.''