The Last Dragon

Shaq retiring is like some gargantuan myth has curled up and died, even if watching him play was already like watching bones gather dust.
I'll miss him. I'll miss hating him, and I'll miss being in awe of him. And while having Tim Duncan around for a while longer, it's kind of like selling tickets to see a dragon when really what you've got behind the tent is a crafty crocodile. And don't tell me what about Dwight Howard--he's no Shaq! And Yao is a cracked Lost statue: mysterious, hollow, and, when all is said and done, most likely a red heron.  Greg Oden is an old man, and Andrew Bynum is a sore loser. So let there be silence, one of the last and greatest big men has passed from the hardwood.



I am still amazed at the amount of physical punishment Shaq dished out, as well as the amount of punishment he received on a nightly basis. It's a good thing he had a sense of humor--imagine if he didn't.