There is quite a bit of buzz around the basketball world about this play. Shaq has been adamant with his feelings towards players taking a dive and flopping when he makes his strong moves in the lane. Here it looks as if Shaq attempted to take a charge on a Dwight Howard move down the stretch of the Suns/Magic game on Tuesday. In all honesty about 70% of all charge calls are "flops" because it is very rare to see a player actually hit another player with enough force and velocity to knock him down. Nevertheless this is not seen often from O'Neal. Many announcers say it is a first ever flop, but that's inaccurate. Magic Head Coach Stan Van Gundy went on to say during a post game interview addressing the "flop" by saying, "I was shocked, seriously shocked and very disappointed because he knows what it's like. Let's stand up and play like men, and I think our guy did that tonight." Van Gundy, former coach of O'Neal while in Miami, didn't seem to express this very jokingly. Shaq was not amused. He went on to bash Van Gundy Wednesday, repeatedly calling him a frontrunner and a master of panic.
"Flopping is playing like that your whole career. I was trying to take the charge, trying to get a call. It probably was a flop, but flopping is the wrong use of words. Flopping would describe his coaching," O'Neal said. "I'm not going to just sit abound and let nobodies take shots at me, and he is a nobody to me. And if he thinks he can get in a little press conference and take shots at me like I'm not going to [give] something back, he's got another thing coming."
"I said I flopped, but flopping is falling and crying and complaining to the ref. I tried to take a charge. The rules say when a guy comes into your chest and you fall, that's an offensive foul, and that's all I tried to do. I fell, didn't complain, he made a great move, spun and dunked it, but flopping is the wrong choice of words. So that's all I've got to say about that, but again, I despise frontrunners, I despise them. And that's what he is to me."
Van Gundy would respond Thursday morning before practice by saying "Obviously I struck a nerve and hurt his feelings. Shaq's a very sensitive guy. If I hurt his feelings, I'm sorry. I'm pretty sure that every player who's ever played for me doesn't hate me," Van Gundy said. "Now we'd have to do a survey, but I've coached a lot of guys, and I'm pretty sure there's one or two that don't hate me. I don't know that any liked me. But I'm pretty sure there's one or two who don't hate me. So I don't worry about that because, quite honestly, I don't think it's true."
In my opinion, as much one would think "Shaq is too big for flopping", I think its smart and explains part of his longevity in the game. He is able to put his preconceived notions to the side and adapt to the evolution of the game today. Taking charges is a huge part of the game, game changing like a huge dunk for a team. Seeing Shaq attempt a charge "flop" or no "flop" goes to show you why he can still hold his own and be a dominating force at the age of 36.
