By Jerry Browneastvalleytribune.com,
Nov. 20, 2008
Not long ago, Shaquille O’Neal revealed after calling San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich “a coward” that much of what he says to the media is for marketing purposes — just to make sure interest stays high in the NBA, the personalities that drive it and himself (not necessarily in that order).
Well, there wasn’t much need to raise interest in tonight’s first meeting of the season between the Lakers and Suns at US Airways Center.
Will national television be on hand? Check.
Is there good old-fashioned dislike and rivalry (albeit one-sided) between the two teams, the two organizations and the two cities? Check, check and check.
Will Shaq and Kobe Bryant be on the same floor at the same time? Oh, yeah.
But it never hurts to fan the flames a little — or even douse ’em with lighter fluid — and no one understands that better than “The Big Promoter.” In a recent interview with the Sacramento Bee that was printed over the weekend, O’Neal was quoted as treading over the ol’ Lakers days one more time. Among his observations: