LOS ANGELES — Breeze into the Laker locker room at the cavernous Staples Center and this is what you see: a long corridor with action shots of past Laker greats, led off by the biggest of men, Wilt Chamberlain.
Glide down the hallway and there is Magic, Kareem, Jerry and Elgin. Turn right and the lockers of today’s stars greet you. The name plate Bryant catches your eye first and you look quickly around the room to find O’Neal.
There in the right corner is a locker with the gold No. 34 jersey, but curiously, the name plate reads: IDGAF.
Knowing Shaquille O’Neal’s delightful sense of humor and use of word play you know this must be the place. IDGAF. So, what does it mean? Simple: I Dominate Games Always and Forever.
That never has been more true than this season. Shaquille O’Neal is the league’s cinch MVP. He will take his dominance into today’s matchup against the Knicks, along with a league-leading 29.1 scoring average and 13.8 rebounds. Forget Michael. This is The Shaq’s Show now. Just like Michael, Phil Jackson is his man and the NBA his playground as he searches for his first championship, a holy grail he creatively calls “The bling, bling.”
That would be “bling, bling,” as when your eyes see the most sparkling of diamonds on a championship ring.
A few minutes later Shaq enters the room dressed in black, wearing the largest diamond-studded silver cross imaginable. This is his home and he immediately makes everyone feel welcome. He goes to his locker, removes a large manila envelope and takes out a comical picture of himself, making sure to show each and every visitor his pose and offering these words with a smile: “Guaranteed to make you laugh.”
His final stop is the stoic security guard, stationed seven feet from his locker, a man who wears a dark suit, a head-set and a stern “Book em, Dano” face. Not for long. The guard can’t help himself and cracks up. “Guaranteed to make you laugh,” Shaq repeats.
How many superstars would make themselves so down to earth? In a quiet moment, Shaq, who was born in Newark, smiles and says, “Hey, I’m just a nice guy, Jersey all the way.”
An hour later O’Neal is on the floor dominating the surging Sixers, pouring in 37 points to snatch the scoring lead from Allen Iverson, grabbing 14 rebounds, handing out five assists, blocking eight shots and crushing Iverson on a drive to the hoop, a play in which O’Neal is called for a flagrant foul. Iverson’s explosive move and Shaq’s steel 7-foot-1, 315-pound frame make it a one-sided collision.
“A sports car running into a garbage truck,” Shaq says. “The driver gets hurt.”
The Knicks are hoping they don’t end up in the same crash today on the final stop of a solid West Coast swing. O’Neal crushed the Knicks two Sundays ago at the Garden, scoring 43 points in a 92-85 victory. A win today would give the 61-12 Lakers the highest winning percentage by a Western Conference team ever against the East at .900, 27-3.
“I used to be the Beast of the East, now I’m the Great Test of the West,” Shaq says proudly. There is a Babe Ruth-like aura to O’Neal. He smiles at the comparison and lights up at the thought of being “The Basketball Bambino.”
He knows this will be another test today. “The Knicks are a very dangerous team,” he says of what could be a preview of The Finals matchup. “They didn’t play that well the last time, so I’m sure they are going to come in here energetic.” Asked specifically what concerns him about the Knicks, he answers, “Nothing. Every team that plays against us is going to bring their ‘A’ game.”
Of Patrick Ewing he says, “It’s not my job to critique players, but he’s still one of the best. I like to get up for the best, so I’ll be ready. I look like I’m having fun, but I know this is a business. We’ve never gotten over the hump as a team. Phil has been there and done that. Guys give him respect. We didn’t have that last year.”
The Lakers are closing like champions, having won eight straight and 27 of 28. O’Neal and the improved Kobe Bryant are the reasons why they are the NBA’s best. Even Jackson is somewhat startled by his team’s success.
“They have a desire to prove me wrong a lot of times,” says Jackson, who notes he didn’t think there was any way the Lakers would beat both the Sixers and Knicks this weekend. “I don’t purposely downplay them, they’re a fine team. They’re doing terrific this year.”
As for the scoring title, it means nothing to O’Neal. He won one in 1994-95 and owns what he calls “a small bowl” of a trophy. He is looking for much different hardware this time around. “I’m focused on bigger and better things,” he says purposefully. “The first team to 15 [playoff victories] gets the big ball, that’s what I’m looking for. That bling, bling.”
Chances are, the big man will get his ring, ring.
