As you probably know, Shaquille O’Neal signed with the Boston Celtics yesterday, a two-year deal worth around $3 million. The C’s are his fourth team since the 2007-08 season as he continues his pursuit of a fifth NBA championship. What you may not know is that the Big Shamrock (as ESPN called him) didn’t take kindly to something Jim Rome said about him on Rome’s TV show Rome Is Burning, which airs on ESPN.
To give a little background, Rome has been around since the early ’90s, both on radio and TV, and is known for his brash style. Suffice it to say, he’s not shy about giving his opinions. According to Rome on his website, he didn’t like the Shaq signing from Boston‘s perspective because “they just got older and slower.” Shaq is 38, joining a team with a few other stars heading into their mid-30s, but the team is still dangerous, as anyone in the NBA can attest to. But then Rome got a bit more personal, saying Shaq “never fully committed to conditioning or taking care of your body,” along with questioning the big man’s legacy. Oh boy.
Surprisingly enough, Rome’s pointed attack didn’t sit well with Shaq, so the Diesel took to Twitter to express his displeasure. First he took a shot at Rome and his legacy, and then things got interesting. The 7-foot-1, 300-plus pound O’Neal challenged the relatively diminutive Rome to a boxing match, then in his next tweet, Shaq said if he lost, he would give his salary to a charity of Rome’s choosing. Rome’s response? “For 8 mill, maybe, but I’m not getting my face caved in for the veteran’s minimum & you are a little out of my weight class.”
Come on, Jim, step up to the challenge. As you probably know, Shaq lost his boxing match to Oscar De La Hoya on Shaq Vs., so clearly he can be beat. And, sure, you got taken down by Jim Everett on your show back in ’94, but that was a surprise attack. Plus, your charity of choice, at least according to your website, is the Pat Tillman Foundation, honoring the former NFL player who was killed while serving in Afghanistan. It’s a great charity and one that would certainly benefit from Shaq’s salary. While you may have declined now, as we’ve learned from Brett Favre, you’re allowed to change your mind a time or two.
Photo by Alex Gouchnour, US Air Force, via Wikimedia Commons.