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Shaquille
O'Neal: "When you are 60, hang out with 60-year-olds, not 20-year-olds.
That is all I got to say about Jerry Buss."
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HoopsHype.com Articles Talking
trade
Geoff Petrie (Sacramento Kings GM): I wasn’t shocked really. Shaq made it clear he was unhappy so the Lakers didn’t have any option but to try to give him what he wanted. Mike Montgomery (Golden State Warriors head coach): I was more concerned about getting Derek Fisher signed, which we did. Pete Carril (Sacramento Kings assistant coach): Not real surprising. The longer you’re around this game, the better you understand that’s how it works. It’s a business. Mitch Kupchak (Los Angeles Lakers GM): Well when talks broke down in February about giving Shaq an extension, we knew then that this day would probably come. Chris Mullin (Golden State Warriors GM): Not too surprised. You heard about Shaq asking for the trade, you just didn’t know where he was going to end up. It didn’t come out of nowhere. - Do you think Kobe Bryant had anything to do with the trade of Shaquille O’Neal? Geoff Petrie: I wouldn’t even want to speculate really. We know that signing Kobe was a priority for the Lakers. It’s hard to say. Mike Montgomery: He probably had influence, meaning his opinions probably mattered. But that doesn’t mean he had an actual hand in it. Pete Carril: That’s not a fair question. There’s no way to know. Mitch Kupchak: Absolutely not. We tried to make both Shaq and Kobe happy and the trade is what Shaq asked for. Chris Mullin: There’s no way to know. I wouldn’t even want to guess. - Who will regret this more, Shaq or Kobe? Geoff Petrie: You’ll have to ask them that! Pete Carril: Neither. Both have three rings. What’s to regret? Mitch Kupchak: I don’t think either of them will have any regrets either way. Chris Mullin: Probably no regrets for either side. They did what they thought was best for them. That team had run its course, you could say. - How much does the balance of power change in the conferences? Geoff Petrie: There are so many good teams (in the West), you can’t even say that just because Shaq left that there will be a difference. Mike Montgomery: Well I hope it helps me out!” Anytime you don’t have to face Shaq and Kobe, I guess that’s a good thing. Pete Carril: The Lakers weren’t the best team in the conference to begin with, truthfully. They haven’t had the No. 1 seed for a few years. If anything, it affects the East more than the West. Mitch Kupchak: We have some very good young talent here. We’ll be very competitive. Chris Mullin: There’s no way to tell. We won’t even have an idea until the end of free agency. - Who is a stronger team now, the Lakers or the Miami Heat? Geoff Petrie: You never know until you get into the season. On paper, the Lakers were thought to be the strongest team at this point last year. Mike Montgomery: Well, whenever you trade a player the caliber of Shaquille O’Neal, there is going to be a drop-off, at least in the short term. The Lakers are still missing a piece or two. Miami? It should be interesting. Pete Carril: Well, I guess you could say the Lakers would be deeper because they gained more players, but the Heat play in the East where there aren’t many true big men. So stronger is relative. Mitch Kupchak: You’re kidding, right? Chris Mullin: The Warriors. Morris O'Kelly is a regular contributor to HoopsHype.com Tell us what you think about this article. E-mail us at HoopsHype@HoopsHype.com _____________________ |
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