Shaquille O'Neal supposedly hyperextended his left knee in a collision with Chuck Hayes during the third quarter of a 94-72 loss to the Houston Rockets. However, the replays clearly show that Shaq actually made contact with his right knee, not his left, which had been causing problems earlier this month. It was also visually noticeable that his knee was in a bent position, almost as though he was sitting in a chair, as the "Big Diesel" collided with the second-year player from Kentucky, making it nearly impossible to cause a hyperextension.
Shaq, now reporting the injury to his left knee, continued to play and continued to be dominated by Yao Ming down low.
O'Neal has often referred to himself with great pride. "The Big Aristotle," "The M.D.E." (Most Dominant Ever), "Superman," and "The Diesel" are only a few of his self-made nicknames. Most, however, would consider it possible for a Diesel to run through a knee-on-knee bump. Shaq, on the other hand, considers it to be a perfect opportunity to pull over to the side and fill up on gas.
He has also referred to himself, at times, as the "L.C.L." (Last Center Left). However, on Sunday night, it was overwhelmingly apparent that the standout from LSU was but a shadow of his former self and that there was a new man to take over the title of the league's most dominant big man.
The game, in which Yao put up 34 points and pulled down 14 rebounds over Shaq (15 points, 10 rebounds, 5 turnovers), stood to be a symbolic "passing of the torch," a torch that has been in the hands of O'Neal for far too long.
Ever since moving to Miami, Shaq has seemed to be second fiddle to Dwyane Wade. His fiddle, however, was still playing beautiful music —until now.
Last season was Shaq's worst individual performance and the only season where he did not average a double-double. Nonetheless, even though he missed 23 regular season games, he still managed to get the job done when it mattered the most — in the playoffs.
This season, the Heat will need more from the big man — but O'Neal seems unwilling to supply the demand. Miami is struggling and won't be able to coast to the playoffs before turning on the jets like last season. The team sits at three wins and four losses through Wednesday, thanks in part to Shaq missing three games due to a "sore knee."
The Heat have three pairs of back-to-back games coming up in the next two weeks, and if O'Neal can't handle his knees with a day's rest between games, he surely won't be able to handle the rigors of the upcoming schedule.
The Heat need him to be at his best when it matters most, and right now it seems like a win would make a world of difference for their morale. It's just too bad that this Diesel needs the team to pull him along rather than providing the engine that could lead the defending champs to repeated success — success that at this moment seems impossible.
Whether O'Neal is on the bench with his sore knee or playing through in the same lackluster way that he has demonstrated this season with career lows, the fact is that he can no longer be considered among the elite. Shaq has had an amazing career, but this year will be one to forget.
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