Posted on 06/03/2005 8:50:33 AM PDT by Pikamax
By TIM REYNOLDS AP Sports Writer
MIAMI Shaquille O'Neal wants to pay more than respects to the family of George Mikan. O'Neal said Thursday that he wants the Mikan family to contact the Miami Heat offices, so arrangements can be made for him to handle funeral expenses for the league's first dominant big man.
Mikan died Wednesday night at a rehabilitation center in Scottsdale, Ariz., following a long fight with diabetes and kidney ailments. He was 80.
"I'd like to send my condolences to the Mikan family," O'Neal said after Miami beat Detroit 88-76 in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals on Thursday night. "I heard they were having some trouble, some problems, so if you contact the Heat office, I would like to pay for the funeral."
O'Neal credits Mikan as someone who helped lay the framework for what the NBA is today.
"Without No. 99, there is no me," said O'Neal, referring to Mikan by his jersey number.
Terry Mikan said he appreciated O'Neal's offer but said it would be up to his mother whether to accept it.
"It just speaks to what Shaquille is all about," Mikan's son said. "He had a bond with my dad. They were close friends."
O'Neal and Mikan were both selected to the NBA's list of 50 greatest players, and the two dominant big men of their eras met several times.
"He was a great man. We had many, many conversations," O'Neal said. "Very nice to me. I know what he was and I know what he did."
Both O'Neal and Mikan led the Lakers franchise to multiple NBA championships; Mikan carried the Minneapolis Lakers to five titles in a six-year span, O'Neal led the Los Angeles Lakers to three consecutive championships from 2000-2002.
"Frankly, without George Mikan, the Los Angeles Lakers would not be the organization we are today," said Los Angeles Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss.
Others at the Eastern Conference finals offered their sentiments on Mikan, including Heat president Pat Riley, who called Mikan "the model for all big men that followed him."
"A truly genuine human being as well as a great player. He made the game what it is today," Riley said.
Class move.
I saw him do it live...he said that "I wouldn't be hear if not for him."
Not bad for an LSU guy.
A very classy move and vey respectful of the game's history.
So in that sense even more appropriate and might I add, very classy.
A very classy move and vey respectful of the game's history.
So in that sense even more appropriate and might I add, very classy.
This makes it hard for me to dislike him for all his past big mouth-offs. I recall that when Lakers won in 2000-01, he paid for the police car the Laker fans destroyed. I've read he wants to be a cop when he retires.
I have also read that he bought all the sneakers for his high school basketball team here in San Antonio recently. And that he's never cashed an NBA check and lives off his endorsements.
~sigh!~ But, as a player, I don't like him.
Definitly not a 'girly man'. Way to go Shaq!
Actually, I'm not surprised that Shaq would offer to do this... what I am surprised about is that he did it publicly. Shaq, unbeknownst to most sports fans, is a very charitable individual who privately gives to people and organizations in need. I am aware of a couple of things that he's done in the past that I cannot share with you at his request, but he is truly charitable.
One instance that I can share with you, is that after the Lakers won their first title with Shaq, there were mini-riots in the streets around the Staples Center and a couple of police cruisers were destroyed... he personally wrote a check to pay for a replacement cruiser (Dr. Jerry Buss wrote the check for the other).
He's a class act.
I saw that last night after the game.
Shaq is one of the most down to earth Superstars ever.
This reminds me of the time the Padres played the Yankees in the World Series a few years ago, and Tony Gwynn made a point of showing up early before Game 1 and visiting the monument area in Yankee Stadium -- to pay respects to the great Yankee legends who helped make baseball the game it is today.
Class act
Thank you Shaq!
George Mikan was one of the best.
God bless his soul and may he rest in peace.
Semper Fi,
Kelly
That struck me as odd too. There had to be a way for him to contact the family directly and not through a press release.
There might be a reason for him to do this publicly. I wonder if there are a number of NBA old-timers who are living in poverty or something like that, and this is an opportunity to make their difficulties public indirectly.
Yes, the issue of pensions for old-time NBA players has been the subject of debate for quite a while.
Another reason to mention it publically is that a lot of people don't know or remember the old days/guys....so in a way I think Shaq thought he was honoring the man by mentioning him...perhaps young people will go research now due to his mention.
I'll give Shaq credit for this, but there's something wrong when an NBA Hall-of-Famer has to sell his memorabilia to pay his medical expenses. What kind of a players' union lets that happen?
He cashed his NBA checks, if he didn't, his team(s) would have been penalized.
I do know he does take less money to help the heat (and before that the lakers, but not the magic) to help out with the cap.
Yes, the players who retired before the mid-60s just get a pittance.
What? Only mispelling one word? Or did Mikan give Shaq his hearing aids?
Good point - I hadn't thought of that. You know how MSM is, you can't believe everything you hear! :D
Earns my respect on the basis of true humility.
Condolences to all those who recognize this as their loss.
Shaq's a decent guy overall. His stepdad kept him in line during his formative years.
Random trivia -- did you know that Shaq's neighbor in LA was ex-Beach Boy and basketball fan Brian Wilson?
Shaq has finally trimmed down and I'm convinced he had botox for the sweating or something! And, best of all, he quit talking trash about the ladies. Like his mom told him, it ain't funny! Sure, Shaq and Cindy Crawford. Riiigggghhhht.
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