Sport is more of a business now: Shaquille

CHENNAI: Shaquille O'Neil is a man mountain in the basketball arena - the powerhouse, the showman, the irresistible force and the immovable object all rolled into one. But when he speaks, the deep voice pitched in the softest tone imaginable can catch you by surprise. Talking to Shaq, you get the feeling his voice is coming from somewhere above. It sounds like the genie in the 1996 comedy flick Kazaam.Yes, the same movie in which Shaq played the role of a rapping genie.
In the hustle and bustle around, the genie's voice was barely audible over phone. When asked to speak a bit louder he said, "It's not my phone man, my phone is OK. It must be your phone."
The man has finally hung his 22EEE sized boots - probably one of the biggest pairs to have built patterns in a sporting arena - and has taken to the microphone as the NBA finally starts after weeks of players striking over pay. "It was very unfortunate," said Shaq. "But I'm glad it's finally over. Sport has now become more business and less sport and it's not ideal."
Shaq would have continued as one of the best known NBA stars, had a degenerative arthritis in his toe not forced him to hang up his boots. "I regret not being able to continue," he revealed, unimpressed with the thought of being in the pundit's seat, in the comforts of the TNT studio, as the season kicks off next Sunday.
But like always, he'll have some interesting stuff to say, as holding back opinions has never been his way. "I'm looking forward to hanging out with two legends - Ernie Johnson and Charles Barkley," he said, referring to his fellow studio-mates, and rivals during his playing years. Saying goodbye is always tough. And Shaq certainly won't find it easy. For 19 years, this has been his playing field. His talent and imposing physical presence has dominated the game the way only a few others could. "I wanted to win all the time, and that has been my motivation," he said.