Since retiring from the NBA Shaquille O’Neal has become an analyst for TNT.  When recently asked to name the best Center in the NBA “The Diesel” bestowed that honor on Lakers big man Andrew Bynum. However, in a head-to-head match up with Orlando Magic Center Dwight Howard (the man many would consider the best center) Bynum came up short.

Howard got the best of Bynum, finishing with 21 points, 23 rebounds and one blocked shot to Bynum’s 10 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks in the win. For the season Howard is averaging 20 pts, 16 rebounds ad 2.3 blocks to Bynum’s 15 pts, 13 rebounds and 1.9 blocks.

So what did Dwight have to say in response to Shaq?

“He’s mad about ‘Superman,’” Howard said referring to his Slam Dunk contest routine from 2008. “I didn’t know he made it up. I didn’t know Superman came from Shaquille O’Neal.”

Superman was one of several nicknames Shaquille O’Neal used during his career, flaunting a Kryptonian “S” tattoo on his bicep. But Howard doesn’t care.

“I would suggest he’d just sit down and get on with his life,” Dwight added. “He don’t play no more, so what’s the point of talking trash? It’s not like we’re wrestlers and we get to battle it out. Who cares?”

GET THE FULL STORY AT ESPN

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In Shaquille O’Neal‘s fourth book, Shaq Uncut: My Story, Shaq said he always cheated “respectfully” on his ex-wife Shaunie O’Neal!?!?!

Shaq explained what cheating “respectfully” means and shared his thoughts on Shaunie’s “Basketball Wives” reality shows. Hear what Nnete had to say about it in this edition of That’s What’s Up from our sister site TheBoxHouston.com!

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We previously heard that they were engaged, so this isn’t too hard to believe. Get the rest of the details right here.

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While nothing can be as funny as Shaq rapping, “Kobe, tell me how my ass tastes,” Shaq has thrown many  shots Kobe’s way over the years. Vibe.com compiled 10 of the most offensive for your weekend barbershop debates.

Shaq vs. Kobe 4

The Year: 2000

The Jab: During a private team meeting, Shaq reportedly got up and said, “I have something to say. I think Kobe is playing too selfishly for us to win.” He also talked to management frequently during the 1999-2000 season, telling them that he didn’t think the Lakers could win an NBA title with Kobe on the team.

Our Reaction: At this point, it’s amazing that Lakers management didn’t trade either Shaq or Kobe. If all of the media reports about their hatred of one another is true, how did these guys manage to win their first title together in 2000?

READ THE FULL LIST OF 10 AT VIBE.COM

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So I’m on edge because I don’t have a new deal, and Kobe is on edge because he might be going to jail, so we’re taking it out on each other. Just before the start of the ’03-’04 season the coaching staff called us in and said, “No more public sparring or you’ll get fined.” … Phil was tired of it. Karl Malone and Gary Payton were sick of it. … So what happens? Immediately after that Kobe runs right out to Jim Gray and does this interview where he lets me have it. He said I was fat and out of shape. He said I was milking my toe injury for more time off, and the injury wasn’t even that serious. (Yeah, right. It only ended my damn career.) He said I was “lobbying for a contract extension when we have two Hall of Famers playing pretty much for free.” I’m sitting there watching this interview and I’m gonna explode. Hours earlier we had just promised our coach we’d stop. It was a truce broken. I let the guys know, “I’m going to kill him.”

Read more excerpts at Deadspin.com.

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When Shaquille O’Neal married his now ex-wife Shaunie O’Neal in 2002, he had no idea that relationship would propel her and other women into the spotlight as “Basketball Wives.” But now that Shaunie’s ballin’ on her own, what does Shaq think about the show? And is there any chance of a “Basketball Husbands” spinoff?

Take a listen to this interview on “Tom Joyner Morning Show” to find out the answers, and hear what Shaq is up to now that he’s retired from the NBA.

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A few nasty text messages between Shaq and Domonic Wrestling was also leaked to the net. The messages date back to February 1, 2009.

Check out the messages below:

Samuels: Hi. Sesslielopez@gmail.com [FYI, the email address bounces back]. Or I can give her your info? She’s not in the country until Wed so maybe then is better because she hasn’t answered me about something else I asked her about. Also she asked about your personal life and I told her_whatever it is_-I’m sure you had it under control. Still waiting on Robinne’s response.

Shaq: Sesslie aintdat fine whts robins last name

Samuels: You are so wrong! Robinne Lee_she’s on Tyler Perry’s show sometimes. Do you know Lauren London_I don’t_but I know James Lassiter knows how to reach her. You ever dealt with her_is she cool? Sharon Leal??

Shaq: Loren is d wade’s girl im not wrong sesslie aint my type u r

Samuels: What about Gabrielle and Dwyane?

Shaq: He gottem all I want u or rihanna

Samuels: Rihanna is too young_19– she is just legal and you know I’m very chatty and you said you didn’t like that!!!!!

Shaq: Yeah but I told u had a crush on me and u wouldnt chat about us i kn o u

Samuels: No_I’m chatty in a relationship_not to others. You just decided I had a crush on you huh?? When did you decide that?

Westling: I feel bad we lost contact. Hope you are well. I live in LA now so hit me up if you ever come out there
-dominica

Shaq: O my god were r u can i have u bak i miss u to whts yur number pls baby i want u bak do u love me

Dominica: Yes I wanna see you, you know I can never forget about you. My number is [redacted by us]

[Twenty-three days later, Dominica sends Shaq an email with only the subject line "Muuaaahhh" and a photo that, judging by his reaction, didn't depict a tray of freshly baked cookies.]

Shaq: Where can I cum at when I c u

Dominica: All over me, where do you wanna cum?

Shaq: In u foreva

Dominica: I miss that

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The two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers bowed out of the 2011 NBA Playoffs and their run at a three peat in stunningly embarrassing fashion: a 122-86 shellacking to the Dallas Mavericks. The beatdown completed a 4-game sweep, the first ever Phil Jackson-coached team to get the broom.

Never mind the fact that the Lakers failed to play any defense beyond the 3-point line, allowing the Mavericks to hit 20 3′s tying a playoff record, LaMar Odom and Andrew Bynum decided to play like bush-leaguers as the game was winding down. Bynum’s foul was most egregious because he made no attempt on the ball and did not plan to, and it was against a player half his size in JJ Barea who was in mid-air and could have been seriously hurt the way he crashed to the court. To add insult to the punk move, Barea still made the shot he was attempting.

Bynum, who spoke out earlier in the series about trust issues amongst his fellow teammates (mainly the lack of help when Bynum leaves the man he is guarding to assist on the pick and roll), made no apologies for the foul afterward. While he was clearly frustrated, anger is never an excuse for trying to intentionally hurt another player. That behavior is not what Phil Jackson’s teams are about and not how the Lakers organization has represented themselves throughout their history. That being said, here are my predictions of what will happen to the Lakers this upcoming offseason.

5) Brian Shaw will be new Lakers head coach

Shaw is a former Lakers player who has played with Kobe Bryant and under Phil Jackson during the first title run at the turn of the century. Shaw has bided his time as an assistant under Phil for six years. Shaw was one of the front runners for the vacant Cleveland Cavaliers position before Byron Scott was hired and, most importantly, he has Kobe’s stamp of approval.

4) Kobe will demand changes going forward

While the Lakers have been blown out in elimination games before, most recently in Game 6 of the 2008 Finals against Boston, but never have players reacted in such a classless way. Kobe was visibly disgusted with Bynum’s foul on Barea and repeatedly said that fouls like that “should never happen” during his post game press conference. No one, save for Phil Jackson, is more hurt and humiliated by how the series played out. When asked about what the team needs to do in the offseason to get better, Bryant coldly said “that’s up to Mitch,”  referring to Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak. Let’s not kid ourselves. Similar to when Shaquille O’Neal was sent packing to South Beach, Kupchak and upper management of the Lakers will approach Kobe with any possible changes they will make. Kobe will have final say on everything which is not a good look for a few players to be named later.

3) Phil Jackson will not coach again

As the cameras followed Phil Jackson off of the court after his worst playoff series in 20 years as a coach, even Phil haters had to admit the NBA Finals won’t be the same without seeing Jackson in his booster seat.

Jackson, 65, definitely did not envision getting swept and embarrassed by his players as the way he would end his decorated coaching career. That gives some people reason to believe the Zen master will return to coaching, after taking a year off, to come full circle with the New York Knicks, the team he won a championship with as a player in the 1970′s. I am here to tell you this will not happen. Jackson has happened to inherit ready-made teams in his career (Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen on the Chicago Bulls, Kobe and Shaq on the Lakers and finally Kobe and Gasol) and while the Knicks have two superstars in Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudamire, Jackson’s star players played lockdown defense. Anthony and Stoudamire are not committed to defense at all and are not being held accountable for it. If Mike D’Antoni decides to stop being stubborn and hire a defensive-minded assistant coach that can whip STAT and Melo into shape on the defensive end, MAYBE Phil takes on the challenge after D’Antoni’s contract is up. Remember the last “New York” kid that said coaching the Knicks was his dream job? Larry Brown lasted one season fighting with Stephon Marbury and bolted.

2) Bynum and/or Gasol will be traded

Bynum had a bounce back season in 2010-11 showing the potential that kept the Lakers from including him in any rumored deal for Carmelo Anthony. He was the best player in the playoffs for L.A., but the other players, for whatever reason, failed to get Bynum the ball on a consistent basis. That frustration boiled over (see aforementioned foul) and may have been the final straw in a good, but injury plagued tenure in Tinseltown. The rumors swirling is that Bynum could be dealt straight up for Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard.

Pau Gasol will be on the move after a 2011 playoffs where he never scored his season average (18.8) in points in a single game and only reached his rebounding average (10) once. Add to that the allegation that a teammate’s wife caused his fiancee to dump him being the reason for his poor play and the “Gasoft” tag gets magnified. If the unnamed teammate happens to wear #24, Gasol will definitely be sent packing. This has shades of LeBron James last year in Cleveland letting personal issues with teammates affect his play. Gasol has to be stronger than that. He was the piece that helped Kobe get back to the top three years ago, but there is no defending quitting on the court.

1) Dwight Howard will be the center for the Lakers in 2011-2012 season

Dwight Howard’s teammates in Orlando left him hanging. Because Hedo Turkoglu, Jason Richardson, and Gilbert Arenas, among others, forgot how to shoot , the Magic were bounced in the first round in 5 (!!) games. Howard, who scored 75 points and grabbed 35 rebounds in the first two games of that series, was justifiably upset. The Magic made the Finals in 2009, lost in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2010, and took two steps back in 2011 going out in the first round. Openly speaking about the possibility of playing with Kobe, Howard has fans in Mickey’s backyard nervous. After all they loss one franchise center (Shaq) to L.A. for virtually nothing in 1996, a move which set the franchise back a few years. The aforementioned trade for Bynum would not hurt either team financially and Kobe would be getting the best pivot in the NBA. Howard has no history of injury which immediately makes him a better option than Bynum. Expect bringing Superman to L.A. to be one of those talked about moves (see #4) Lakers brass runs past Kobe.

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L.A. was getting all they could handle through two games with New Orleans and the Celtics needed two last second baskets at home to take a 2-0 series lead against the New York Knicks who, were virtually without Chauncey Billups and Amar’e Stoudamire in Game 2. After the first round both Boston and L.A. have moved on after flipping the proverbial switch (or twisting the ankle in Kobe’s case).

The Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder both looked impressive in their series and Atlanta shocked the world by dispatching of Orlando as easily as they did. Up 3-0 on Indiana, the Bulls struggled againsnst the #8 seed. Derrick Rose has been all world in the series, but Chicago will need more production out of everyone else going forward. The Bulls have won the NBA title in every season in which the team won 60 games or more. The 2010-11 Bulls won 62 games. No pressure. As round 2 begins today here are my updated predictions.

Eastern Conference

#1 Chicago Bulls vs #5 Atlanta Hawks

I had Orlando winning this round, but unfortunately Orlando center Dwight Howard was the only player that got off the bus in the series against the Hawks. I was encouraged to see Atlanta adjust their gameplan against Superman, refusing to double team and staying home on the 3-point shooters of the Magic. Jamal Crawford, the leading bench scorer in the playoffs, worked his magic (no pun intended) throwing in dagger 3′s with regularity. Joe Johnson showed the urgency and intensity necessary in the closeout game 5 and Al Horford was a man amongst boys down low. All of that being said, the Bulls are overjoyed that Atlanta took care of Orlando because they have owned the Hawks in the regular season (a blown double-digit lead in ATL notwithstanding). I expect this to continue as Joakim Noah will cancel out Al Horford’s energy. The Hawks will be hurt by the loss of Kirk Hinrich, who pulled his hamstring in Game 5 of the previous series, as he would have been key in containing Derrick Rose defensively. Rose can do his usual damage on offense and get by Atlanta but Carlos Boozer has to come out of the witness protection program and give him some help or Atlanta will make it a tough series.

Prediction: Bulls run wild and win 4-2

#2 Miami Heat vs #3 Boston Celtics

This is the series everyone has been waiting to see. LeBron has already been asked about his alleged quitting against Boston last season and he is saying he takes this series personal (whatever that means). This series is why Pat Riley flashed the rings at LeBron last July. This series is what the Miami Heat team as we know it had been training at military bases for. The Celtics limped into the playoffs as they did last year and looked old in the first two games against the Knicks that had everyone in New York talking upset. Boston showed up to Madison Square Garden and turned back the clock to 2009 becoming the first team to make it to the second round this year in the process. Jermaine O’Neal (not the O’Neal I expected to contribute) must have thought he was back in Indiana the way he held down the middle for Boston on both sides of the ball. They will need him to show up again in this series if Shaquille O’Neal can’t go. These aren’t the Knicks, however. The Heat play defense, and Mario Chalmers will not be on skates and jumping out of the way of Rajon Rondo in the paint (hello, Toney Douglas?). History is on Boston’s side as 8 of the last 9 teams to sweep an opening  round series have gone on to win the conference semifinals. Ray Allen has torched the Heat to a tune of 57% shooting. Wade will need to step up offensively and score more than 12 points a game for the Heat to win. This is the Heat’s Detroit Pistons of 1991, the Piston’s Boston Celtics of 1989 (the Jordan-led Bulls had to overcome Isiah Thomas’ Bad Boys and Thomas had to get by Bird’s Celtics to get to the proverbial “next level”).

Prediction: LeBron James and Dwyane Wade have never beat the Boston Celtics in a playoff series. That ends this year. I am sticking with my upset pick. Heat burn Celtics in 7, 4-3.

Western Conference

#2 Los Angeles Lakers vs #3 Dallas Mavericks

The Lakers struggledwith the upstart Hornets without David West. They cannot afford to take a game off in this series. Jason Kidd is not as fast as Chris Paul, but you can’t call him”Ason” anymore. Kidd has hit some clutch 3′s all year and he can still get his teammates the ball in the right places. Although Kobe brought out the ’97 dunk contest hops in game 5 against Emeka Okafor, it is highly unlikely he will repeat that against the likes of Tyson Chandler and Brendan Heywood. The Mavericks are 15-0 this season when Dirk Nowitzki attempts 10 or more freethrows in a game, but with the Lakers bigs inside Dirk may forget to drive to the basket and settle for jumpshots, not necessarily a bad thing if the shots are falling. Andrew Bynum showed last round why the Lakers refused to entertain including him in Carmelo Anthony trade talks as he was the most consistent player for L.A. against New Orleans.

Prediction: the Lakers will get by the Mavericks 4-2.

#4 Oklahoma City Thunder vs #8 Memphis Grizzlies

I’ll admit the Grizzlies know more than I did going into the playoffs. They asked for San Antonio and made sure they got ‘em. In the process they made Tim Duncan look like a shell of himself and kept Richard Jefferson out of the series entirely (did he even play?). They dominated the series so thoroughly that it took two miracle shots by Manu Ginobli and Gary Neal in Game 5 just to force overtime or the series would have ended earlier. Zach Randolph has come a long way from his “jailblazer” (with Portland) and “black hole” (with New York) ways of the past. He has remained a big-game scorer and rebounder, but has passed effectively averaging over 5 assists in the SanAntonio series. While the Grizzlies handled the Thunder in the regular season winning 3 out of 4 games, Kevin Durant is on a mission. I thought he would be derailed by a veteran SanAntonio squad, but Memphis has opened the door for him to have a deep post-season run. The key matchup is Tony Allen against the unstoppable Durant. Allen has become the heart and soul of the team since Rudy Gay went out with his shoulder injury and that playoff experience and toughness gained from his time with Boston will take the Grizzlies far in this series.

Prediction: I will give the Grizzlies a little more credit as they showed me something against SanAntonio. OKC has the bigs to withstand Marc Gasol and Randolph and the five inch height advantage Durant has on Allen will be the difference. Oklahoma wins the series 4-3 in 7 hard fought games to set up a rematch with the Lakers for a chance to go to the Finals.

Check back after Round 2 for my updated predictions of who will make the NBA Finals.

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After 82 hard fought games it is time for the NBA’s ”second season.”  This is what fans have been waiting for ever since LeBron James stunned the basketball world by announcing he would be taking his talents to South Beach. While the team he left behind (Cleveland Cavaliers) went on to win 42 fewer games without him (19-63 down from 61-21 with James a year ago), James only went on to finish second in the league in scoring and led the Heat to 58 wins, putting him in the discussion for his third straight MVP award. Ask James and he’ll tell you that means nothing. After being accused of quitting on the Cavs last season against Boston and going out in unsportsmanlike fashion to Orlando in 2009, King James wants everyone to witness him carry the Heat to the promised land and put all the doubters to rest. To do that he will have to do what he couldn’t do at the end of last season and 3 out of 4 times this season with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in tow: beat the Boston Celtics. Will he succeed? Check out my predictions on this and the rest of what promises to be one of the best NBA Playoffs ever.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

FIRST ROUND
1 Chicago Bulls vs 8 Indiana Pacers

When the Indiana Pacers fought to make the playoffs they were probably expecting to face the Miami Heat, who they beat earlier in the year. Instead they got a Bulls team clicking on all cylinders led by MVP front runner Derrick Rose. The Bulls won 62 games this season and locked up home court advantage throughout the entire playoffs. The Bulls only won 60 games five other times in franchise history (hint: all in the 1990′s) and each time they went on to win the NBA title. Read on to see if I think they will make it six, but they will get off to a good start.

Prediction:  The Bulls finally get out of the first round (not being a #8 seed helps that way) in a sweep 4-0.

4 Orlando Magic vs 5 Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks won the season series 3 games to 1, however I am not sold on an Atlanta team that lost by more than 30 points on their home floor three different times. Al Horford has made strides this ear but he is not a true center and will be overmatched by Orlando center Dwight Howard. Atlanta is a mystery to me. They play well enough to be a mid-level playoff team (more a testament to the weak Eastern Conference) but you never expect them to progress to title contender. They are getting no respect and it feels like they don’t really care. I can’t take a team seriously if the road team’s fans are louder than the home fans in your own gym. Joe Johnson is a quiet superstar and may need to change that perception (especially since he signed a huge contract to stay for five years when he could have went elsewhere) if the Hawks are going to go anywhere in the future. I just want to see him get mad and carry the Hawks for once. It won’t happen this year, however. Not even this round.

Prediction: Orlando shows regular season matchup is a fluke taking out the Hawks 4-2.

3 Boston Celtics vs 6 New York Knicks

This will be the most interesting series in the first round of the East playoffs. These two teams haven’t met in the playoffs since 1990 where the Knicks upset the favored Celtics in a best of 5 series by winning the final three games. This current crop of Knickerbockers have the tools to repeat history. The loss of Kendrick Perkins will be glaring for Boston if Shaquille O’Neal is not productive coming off a calf injury. The Knicks have the best closer in the game in Carmelo Anthony and a confident Amare Stoudamire. Chauncey Billups’ championship experience will help the Knicks, but will they play any semblance of consistent defense? Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen have been down this road before but never without Perkins. Rajon Rondo the best player on the team a year ago is reportedly playing hurt and is still sulking over Perkins’ departure. This will be the longest series of the first round only because the Knicks potent offense will win a few games by default, especially over a Celtics team that has the lowest scoring average in the entire league (90.2 ppg) since early March. Boston has been doubted before and they took all that talk of their demise all the way to the NBA Finals last year. They still play something called good defense and will win the series in seven only if Shaq is a factor and Rondo returns to form, otherwise the Knicks pull the upset.

Prediction: Boston has yet to lose to the Knicks this season and have come too far to go home early. They will move on 4 games to 3.

2 Miami Heat vs 7 Philadelphia 76ers

With all the hype, drama and media coverage that bordered on overkill (there are at least two national media outlets that have season-long sections dedicated to the daily exploits of The Miami Heat — ESPN’s “Heat Index” and USA Today’s “Heat Check”) The Maimi Heat’s season starts now. All eyes will be on the new Big 3 of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to see if LeBron can back up the tough talk from the narcissistic pre-season coronation/pep rally in July that introduced the trio to the Miami faithful. They get off to a great start against Philly who are a nice story, but will not be able to match up to the firepower of the Heat.

Prediction: Heat burn the Sixers 4 to 1.

EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS

1 Chicago Bulls vs 4 Orlando Magic

This series is a tough one to call. The Magic are playoff tested. The return of Hedo Turkoglu along with the experience of Jason Richardson (a Western Conference finalist last season in Phoenix), Gilbert Arenas, and Jameer Nelson will be a factor in this series. Chicago may be the #1 seed, but losing to Orlando would not be considered an upset in my opinion. Orlando will win this series, however I give Chicago an outside chance only if Derrick Rose gets Dwight Howard in foul trouble with his signature acrobatic drives to the cup thus leaving the middle open for Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer to go to work. Orlando has their own point to prove with Miami getting all the press and prestige in the “sunshine state” and their veteran leadership will trump youth this year, not for lack of effort from Mr. Rose.

Prediction: Orlando stops the Bulls 4-2

2 Miami Heat vs 3 Boston Celtics

When the NBA season tipped off in October with the first installment of Heat-Celtics everyone watching figured this would be a preview of the Eastern Conference Finals. Unfortunately the Chicago Bulls had something to say about where these two teams would end up so the showdown comes one round early. I hate to beat a dead horse, but the absence of Kendrick Perkins effectively brought Boston back to the pack in the East. Miami reportedly loved the deal as shown in the last regular season meeting where Miami did as they pleased in the paint en route to a 100-77 win. The series won’t be as lopsided as the depth of the Celtics bench will keep the games competitive. Again, the effectiveness of Shaq (or any big other than Kevin Garnett) will swing the series. Former Heat Jermaine O’Neal will have something to prove in this series against the team that let him walk and will have a decent series.

Prediction: In another seven game marathon, the Miami Heat will upset the Celtics 4-3 and send Doc Rivers into retirement. Let the finger pointing (and rebuilding) begin in Beantown.

EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS

2 Miami Heat vs 4 Orlando Magic

Ironically this will the toughest test for the Heat. Dwight Howard will be the only thing standing in the way of a trip to the NBA Finals for LeBron James and the Heat. For the Heat to win this series they have to get contributions from a bench that has been invisible all season. The Heat should have Udonis Haslem back by this point giving them a much needed body to bang with Howard, but the three-headed monster of Erick Dampier, Joel Anthony, and Zydrunis Ilgauskas have to use their fouls to frustrate Howard. Technical fouls accumulated in the regular season are wiped clean in the post season so unless Howard has a major meltdown that gives him 7 techs, he isn’t missing any time.

Unlike the Bulls series, getting Howard in foul trouble will not matter as the Magic have proven they can beat the Heat without Howard touching the ball on offense (as witnessed in the classic comeback from a 24-point deficit back in March). LeBron may have flashbacks to the 2009 Conference Finals with Turkoglu alongside Richardson, Arenas, and (wait for it) Ryan Anderson taking the place of Rashard Lewis behind the 3-point arc. The Magic live and die by the 3 pointer and if they are on it could extinguish the Heat. LeBron has personal incentive (proving Orlando general manager Otis Smith wrong) to make the Magic disappear, but his exploits along with Wade and Bosh may not be enough without consistent play from the Ringo Starr’s on the bench.

Prediction: Orlando upsets ”The Heatles” denying LeBron a trip to the NBA Finals 4-2 in year one of “The Process”.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

FIRST ROUND
1 San Antonio Spurs vs 8 Memphis Grizzlies

This is the matchup the Grizzlies wanted for reasons only known by the team itself. It has been reported that Memphis tanked the last few games to assure themselves of the 8th seed and avoid facing the Lakers. Spurs forward Tim Duncan responded simply ”we see what’s happening”. Uh oh, bulletin board material. This series won’t go more than five. The Grizz are still without their star Rudy Gay, lost for the year with a shoulder injury, and while super sub Tony Allen has been playing out of his mind the last few weeks and Memphis boasts the fourth best record in the Western Conference since the All-Star break, the Spurs have their own Big 3 in the aforementioned Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobli. Even though Ginobli hyperextended his elbow in the regular season finale, they won’t need him in this round.

Prediction: Spurs move on 4-1

4 Oklahoma City Thunder vs 5 Denver Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets traded away the face of their franchise and didn’t miss a beat en route to a 50-win season. If that doesn’t put coach George Karl in the discussion for Coach of the Year I don’t know what does. The Nuggets have no standout superstar yet share the ball effectively in a way not seen since the Detroit Pistons of the 2000′s. The Thunder have two superstars in the NBA scoring champion Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. OKC also has Kendrick Perkins. It is hard to believe one man can swing the balance of power from one conference to the next, but it goes to show how important a serviceable big man is to a championship contender. Perkins brings the toughness that can offset Nene and any antics by Kenyon Martin.  The players that came over in the trade from the Knicks will be fun to watch, but the Thunder’s defense will prove to be too daunting.

Prediction: Thunder bury the Nuggets 4-2

3 Dallas Mavericks vs 6 Portland Trailblazers

This will be as exciting as the Knicks-Celtics series. The Dallas Mavericks have been a Jekyll and Hyde team known to excel in the regular season only to flame out in the playoffs. Their inability to get out of the first round the last few years is the reason why former Mavs coach Avery Johnson is currently wasting away in New Jersey. Since blowing a chance to go up 3-0 on the Miami Heat in the 2006 NBA Finals, the Mavericks have not gotten past the second round, losing in the first round twice. Not having Caron Butler hurts but Shawn Marion and Jason Terry lead a formidable bench which will be needed to help Dirk Nowitzki. Portland has a snubbed all-star in LaMarcus Aldridge an emerging star in Wesley Matthews, the high energy of Gerald Wallace, and their star player Brandon Roy currently coming off the bench (?!). They have not moved past the first round since 2000, but they will give Dallas all they can handle.

Prediction: Dallas hears the whispers of another collapse and because of it they will respond to the perceived disrespect by advancing in a tough series 4-3.

2 Los Angeles Lakers vs 7 New Orleans Hornets

Andrew Bynum only has a bone bruise in his hyperextended right knee. That means he will not miss significant time, if any at all in the playoffs. That is bad news for the rest of the Western Conference. The Lakers may not even need Bynum in this series as the Hornets will be without star forward David West. That leaves Emeka Okafor on an island against the size of the Lakers. Chris Paul will do his best but the Hornets are undersized and overmatched against the two-time defending champs.

Prediction: Lakers win 4-1.

WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS

1 San Antonio Spurs vs 4 Oklahoma City Thunder

The experience of the Spurs and the multiple big men (Antonio McDyess, Dejuan Blair, Duncan) they can throw at Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka combined with the neutrilization of Kevin Durant’s offense by Manu Ginobli will make the difference here. This series may go the distance as Durant and Westbrook try to set up a rematch with the Lakers in the Conference Finals, but the Spurs will prevail.

Prediction: Spurs win 4-3

2 Los Angeles Lakers vs 3 Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks got the first round monkey off their back, but reality will set in. The Mavericks will not have an answer for Pau Gasol, LaMar Odom and Bynum and there is a guy by the name of Kobe Bryant who will command a double team at some point. While Dallas has come a long way defensively they rely on their offense to dictate the pace of the game.

Prediction: Lakers advance 4-2

WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS
1 San Antonio Spurs vs 2 Los Angeles Lakers

Unlike the Eastern Conference, the West holds to form with the two best teams meeting for the chance to play in the Finals. San Antonio, like Boston, defied age and logic during the regular season being the last team to lose 10 games in a year where they were supposed to be in the middle of the pack. These teams are evenly matched, their regular season was a wash. Both teams have game changing superstars and a deep bench. It comes down to Kobe and Phil. Kobe has the nastiest killer instinct since Jordan and I can’t see him losing this series. Losing the #1 seed to the Spurs is just another challenge for the Black Mamba which is a bad omen for San Antonio.

Prediction: Lakers go back to the NBA Finals after a hard fought 7 game slug fest 4-3.

NBA FINALS

Orlando Magic vs Los Angeles Lakers

Probably not the team from Florida Commissioner David Stern had in mind to face the Lakers in the NBA Finals, but in a rematch of the 2009 Finals the experience of the Lakers produces the same result. It was Kobe Bryant’s mission statement to send coach Phil Jackson off with his fourth three-peat while simultaneously earning his sixth ring tying him with Michael Jordan. Again, the challenge is what drives Bryant and his will to win elevates the rest of the team to victory.

Prediction: Lakers complete the three-peat 4-2, possibly pushing Dwight Howard closer to Tinseltown after next season.

**Bonus**

AWARDS SEASON:

MVP: Derrick Rose (Runner-up: LeBron James)

Coach of the Year: Tom Thibodeau, Chicago (Runner-up: Gregg Poppovich, Spurs)

Rookie of the Year: Blake Griffin (Runner-up: John Wall)

Defensive Player of the Year: Dwight Howard (Runner-up: no one worth mentioning)

Sixth Man of the Year: LaMar Odom (Runner-up: Jamal Crawford)

5 Reasons The Miami Heat Will NOT Win The NBA Title This Season

Top 9 Most Exciting Black Basketball Players

Top 9 Music Videos Of The 1990s

“I was in my condo. I had on a cold white suit, white hat and all that,” Shaq told ESPN’s Outside the Lines. “I was on my way. I was dressed. Usually [Shaq's head of security] Uncle Jerome will just come up, but I guess he tried to call and the front desk wouldn’t let him through. I just fell asleep. I woke up about 4 o’clock from a call from my mother.”

Shaq’s mother revealed that Biggie had been shot after the party.

Shaq says that he was supposed to meet up with Biggie at the party. In his 2001 autobiography, Shaq Talks Back, O’Neal writes “If I would have been standing by his truck, would the killer still have shot? I’ve always asked myself that question.

Spotted @ AllHipHop.com

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Related: 25 Reasons We Love Michael Jordan

MICHAEL JORDAN
The greatest basketball player of all time, no matter what criteria you want to use to define it.

Check out: 25 Reasons We Love Michael Jordan

KOBE BRYANT
The greatest basketball player playing right now, no matter what criteria you want to use to define it. We may never see another Michael Jordan, but when it’s all said and done, we will probably never see another Kobe Bryant either.

LEBRON JAMES
And tomorrow? LeBron James will probably be the greatest basketball playing. His size, strength, and ability make him the most exciting player to watch in the NBA, with no signs of slowing up anytime soon.

SHAQUILLE O’NEAL
Shaq has arguably been the greatest big man of his generation, revolutionizing the center position with his quick feet and aggressive play under the boards. Since he’s come into the league, Shaq has proven to be as big as the hype surrounding him.

SCOTTIE PIPPEN
Even without Jordan, Pippen was one of the NBA’s greatest players. Nothing flashy, just sound fundamentals, and when his career as a scorer was fading, he remade himself into a defensive specialist, using his long arms to steal balls and block shots with the best of them.

OSCAR ROBERTSON
The only player to average a triple-double in one season, a record many think will never be broken.

CHARLES BARKLEY
Now the funniest and most watchable NBA analyst on television, Barkley was an undersized big man who played like he was the biggest man on the court. Those who watch him today calling games on TNT may forget how Barkley got in his chair in the first place, by being one of the three greatest players on the court anytime he played.

EARVIN “MAGIC” JOHNSON
Along with Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics, Magic Johnson helped save the NBA from going down a path similar to the NHL back in the 1980’s. Johnson could play all five positions, but when he was best was at the guard position, bringing the ball up court, acting as the conductor to the Lakers unstoppable Showtime offense.

KARL MALONE
The Mailman, alongside his partner in crime John Stockton, made the Utah Jazz a powerhouse back in the 90’s. With the second most points scored in NBA history (Kareem Abdul-Jabar is the first), Malone showed how the Power Forward was more than just a boards and clog-the-lane position. He proved they can also be scoring machines.

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Here is a list of the top 10 Most Popular stories of 2010 based on traffic. Some may surprise you, others will not.

10) Laurence Fishburne’s Daughter: My Dad Is Very Hurt Over Porn

For a moment it seemed that the entire world was consumed with the news that Laurence Fishburne’s daughter Montana was starting a career in the adult entertainment business. No one could understand why the daughter of someone famous would choose to have sex on camera for a living but she insisted in many interviews that this is what she wanted to do with her life. This story was the first time she spoke about her dad’s feelings on the situation and to no one’s surprise, he was not pleased.

9)Raz B Admits To Getting Freaky With Other B2K Members[VIDEO]

Former B2K manager Chris Stokes has been facing allegations of molesting members of the group for years, but in 2010 Raz-B took center stage going on detailed record about the acts he performed on fellow members of the band at Stokes’ request.






8) Oops! Girl Trey Songz Kissed At Summerjam is 15!

This year at Hot 97’s Summer Jam in NY Trey Songz picked a lucky female to come on stage with him. Trigga kissed the girl intensely and made her say “ahh” pouring water down her mouth. The “inventor of sex” may be checking IDs next time he pulls that stunt because the young lady was rumored to be only 15 years old.

7) How To Get Two-Pieced By a 67-Year-Old Man

A ride on the AC bus in Oakland turned violent when a Black man took offense to a white man asking him to shine his shoes.  A verbal exchange ensued and the older man (known as “Epic Beard Man”) walked away but the Black man, thinking he had an easy target, pursued. The result was the creation of signs and t-shirts with the catch phrase “call the ambalamps” emblazoned on them with the image of the black dude with a bloody face wishing he’d stayed in his seat.


6) Wanna Know What Beyonce Looks Like In The Morning?

The cliche goes that a picture is worth a thousand words and in this case it was worth thousands of clicks. The headline was pretty benign but Bey must have way more fans than we ever imagined. The shot of Beyonce waving to the paparazzi in her pjs revealed far less than her GIANT MAG shoot from years back but fans couldn’t get enough of it.

5) Hoopz Confirms Her Engagement To Shaq

“Flavor Of Love” reality tv star Nicole “Hoopz” Alexander confirmed on Twitter that she was engaged to be married to Shaquille O’Neal. No one could believe that the recently divorced Shaq would move so quickly to lockdown Flavor Flav’s sloppy seconds but Love and Basketball was the order of the day. Unfortunately, the engagement doesn’t seem to have made it through the new year. Was it this video?






4) 10 Scandals Waiting To Happen

Krystal Ball may have been a trending topic on Google, but TheUrbanDaily.com’s own Shamika Sanders pulled out her crystal ball to predict 10 scandals that were waiting to happen. Our very own Ms. Cleo predicted everything from a Dirty Money break-up to a Christina Milian sextape. But she actually got one right…almost. (see #2)






3) Male Groupie Supertongue Exposes Nicki Minaj, Rihanna and Sherri Shepherd

We like to have fun here at TheUrbanDaily and our resident comedy team, ThatsWhatsUp! couldn’t resist making fun of women like Superhead and Kat Stacks “exposing” the rappers they’d been with. So “SuperTongue” was born and boy did he have some stories to tell!






2) RUMOR: Drake Punched by Lil Wayne In The Face

Mediatakout rumored that Lil Wayne punched Drake in the face after being released from prison for allegedly sleeping with his girlfriend. While denied it happened on is Twitter page (“You got the story wrong…Lil Wayne punched me in my arm cause he saw a VW beetle pass by,”) what made it crazy was that we’d predicted something crazy like that would happen. (see #4)






Drum

roll

please…

The #1 most clicked story of 2010 is…

1) Trina Nude Pics Leak Online

Back in March several cellphone pictures of Trina made their way onto the eagerly anticipating web. It’s a little-known  fact that the Diamond Princess spent all of 30 minutes as a stripper in Miami before she started rapping, so it’s inspired a lot of searches for her naked truth on the ‘net. In this particular case there was something more substantial than a fake-out page to download a Trojan virus.

According to her reps someone “hacked” Trina’s cell phone and posted photos she’d sent to her then boo Kenyon Martin. “Now I’m having it looked into by the FBI, ” she told MTV. No word on whether she found the culprit. But you should hide your kids, hide your phones just in case.

So while Lil Kim and Nicki Minaj stole most of the headlines in 2010 for their back-and-forth beef, when it comes to giving the people what they want, Trina is still “da baddest.”

BONUS: OUR MOST POPULAR YOUTUBE CLIP OF 2010 IS OUR MASH-UP OF THE MEL GIBSON AND KAT STACKS RANTS, COURTESY OF BILL JOHNSON. **WARNING EXPLICIT LANGUAGE**

GET MORE BEST AND WORST OF 2010 HERE

Some of you may remember the albums he released early in his basketball career: Shaq Diesel, Shaq Fu: Da Return, You Can’t Stop The Reign, and Respect.

Some of you may have blocked them from memory.

Shaq decided to leave hip-hop and basketball behind for one night as he was invited to conduct the Boston Pops orchestra last night.

Check Shaq out in his tuxedo, complete with tails, as he takes the orchestra through a rendition of the holiday classic “Sleigh Ride.”

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While it is still early in the season, another twenty games of mediocrity will most certainly drive the media watch dogs into a frenzy and Heat fans to drink.

The new “Big 3″ of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh now know that the games won’t be as “easy” as LeBron predicted before the season. The “Welcome to Miami” pep rally/coronation that signaled James and Bosh’s arrival seems like a long time ago. The Heat will not win the NBA title this year, but here are five ways they can salvage this season and make the run to the NBA Finals almost everyone predicted after July 8th 2010.

5 – Pat Riley takes over as head coach

Make no mistake about it. Pat Riley is a big reason why LeBron James “took his talents to South Beach.” It was Riley on the front lines in Cleveland reportedly flashing his championship rings at LeBron this past summer. While Erik Spoesltra may command D Wade’s respect, it is hard to fathom that James and Bosh are really gonna listen to what Spoelstra’s selling when times get tough. That being said, a coaching change probably won’t be made until next season which is why this reason is number 5 on the list. As past history has shown, Riley won’t come down from the executive suite until this team is built to win. With the way the roster is currently set-up, Spoelstra won’t have to resign to be with his family until next year.

4 – LeBron has to decide whether he is a passer or go-to-guy

Even though this is Wade’s team, LeBron is still the best player on it. For this reason the Heat have looked like the Miami Cavaliers at times with LeBron taking over the game offensively while the other four guys on the floor stand around. The Boston Celtics made their Big 3 of Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett work because ball movement was fluid. None of the three stars dominated the ball for significant stretches of the game. LeBron has to figure out if he is going to put up gaudy scoring numbers each time out and leave the passing to someone else or facilitate the offense and sacrifice scoring until they address a glaring need at the point.

3 – The other 12 guys have to step up

This ain’t The Redeem Team. Kobe Bryant and Carmelo Anthony aren’t rounding out the starting five. Deron Williams, Dwight Howard, and Jason Kidd are not coming off the bench. This is the down side of locking up three max players and leaving crumbs in the coffer to fill out the rest of the roster. Granted, this team has been decimated by some freak injuries (Wade’s hamstring, Mike Miller’s thumb, etc.), but the guys that are putting on the uniform have to hit some shots and keep opposing defenses honest. Sure Juwan Howard and Zydrunis Ilgauskis have seen better days, but they are former All-Stars. Mario Chalmers was the starting point guard for last year’s Heat team that had a better record at this point than this year’s squad. Show some pride men!

2 – Get an elite point guard

With all apologies to Carlos Arroyo, who is a proven floor leader (Wade plays much better with Arroyo on the floor) as witnessed during the 2004 Olympics when the Arroyo-led Puerto Rican team beat the USA, the Heat have lost to teams boasting Deron Williams, Chris Paul and Rajon Rondo (twice) at the point guard position. Like the Riley move, a change may not happen at the “one” this season. Even if some top tier point guards were available, I doubt they would take the minimum salary to defer to three other stars.

This season LeBron has been dominating the ball as point forward. This needs to change. If Arroyo is gonna be the guy he needs to control the ball more. Passing to LeBron and then setting up on the wing is not going to cut it. This predictable offense allows teams to clog the middle on LeBron and Wade forcing them to take jump shots and with the way they have been shooting the three ball (a combined 5-30 the last few games) keeping them on the perimeter is the best defense. Showcase Arroyo  more, allow him to drive the lane and break down the defense to set up the star players instead of vice versa. This needs to be addressed asap if the Larry O’Brien trophy is going to make an appearance in American Airlines Arena in June.

1 – Get a big man or two (or three)

If the point guard is a glaring need, a presence in the middle is a gaping hole. If Miami wants to compete with Dwight Howard in Orlando and Boston, who has a rejuvenated Shaquille O’Neal catching alley-oop dunks from Rondo, Jermaine O’Neal, Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins returning in February, they need someone who can score and defend in the pivot. Unless Chris Bosh starts playing like Blake Griffin, Joel Anthony and Big Z is not gonna cut it come playoff time.

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The Heat could not find the basket as the Celtics looked like a cohesive unit even integrating the newly acquired Shaquille O’Neal in the early going with two wide open dunks.

Coming into the game as “the other team” seemed to light a fire under the veterans from Beantown as Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen led an offense that opened up a 19-point lead on Miami in the second quarter en route to a 45-30 halftime edge.

Those who thought the game was over at this point may have been under a rock when LeBron James said he was “taking his talents to South Beach” this past summer. With Dwyane Wade (4-16 from the field, 13 points) struggling with his shot, still getting into game shape after missing the entire preseason, and Chris Bosh (8 points) being locked down by Kevin Garnett, King James stepped out of the phone booth in the third quarter.

James led the Heat back all by himself in the third quarter scoring 15 of his 31 points in the period, including scoring or assisting on 14 points in a row, to cut the lead to six points at 63-57.

Every time the Heat threatened the Celtics, mainly Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, hit a big shot to quell any notions of a Miami comeback. When James and Wade led a two-man attack in the 4th quarter to cut the lead to three at 83-80, a clutch three pointer by Ray Allen and two free throws by Paul Pierce set the final score.

The Heat looked like a team that just came together over the summer (James had 8 turnovers) as many of the shots and passes made by Miami were off. The good news is the NBA season is 82 games. No one expected the Heat to go 82-0. They have time to get the kinks out, but give Boston their props. They did not succumb to the hype and played like the defending Eastern Conference champs they are.

With the opener looking like an Eastern Conference Finals game, the 2010-2011 NBA season is off to a fantastic start.

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Shaquille O’Neal is being sued by a former employee that claims that the basketball star hacked into his computer, destroyed evidence, and planned to frame him for child pornography.

From RadarOnline:

Shaq’s former employee Shawn Darling filed the suit for intentional infliction of emotional distress, invasion of privacy and civil R.I.C.O. (a racketeering charge) on August 3, in Miami-Dade County, Florida.

Here are some of the explosive allegations:

• Shaq hacked into the voicemails and phone systems of Darling and Vanessa Lopez, a mistress who is currently suing O’Neal. He deleted Lopez’s messages and changed her password.
• O’Neal used his law enforcement contacts, both active and retired, to obtain restricted information about one of his mistresses, Alexis Miller, while he was involved in a legal battle with her.
• Shaq threw a personal computer holding much of this evidence in the lake behind his home.
• Shaq conspired with active law enforcement as well as ex-members of law enforcement to frame Darling for a criminal offense and destroy any evidence that Darling might have against O’Neal.

Darling says there is proof in the form of emails, text messages and photos that Shaq had multiple affairs while married and tried to keep that information from going public.

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“Flavor Of Love” reality tv star Nicole “Hoopz” Alexander confirmed on Twitter over the weekend that she is engaged to be married to Shaquille O’Neal.

The tweet came on Saturday night in response to a fan’s inquiry whether or not she was engaged to the “Big Man.”

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Athletes are good at a lot of things. Running, jumping, swimming, dribbling, passing, dunking… but the one area where they don’t particularly excel? Staying out of trouble. So theBVX made a list we know can help.

Seriously, there’s not a week passes that someone in the MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, or some other pro sports organization isn’t getting into trouble for something. Most recently, NFL quarterback JaMarcus Russell got arrested for possession of codeine syrup after police conducted a small raid on his home in Mobile, Alabama on Monday night. It’s just the latest thing that could jeopardize Russell’s once-promising career.

With all of that in mind, theBVX wants to help athletes stay out of trouble. So we put together a list of 10 rules that every athlete needs to know. Follow all of them and we guarantee that your mug shot won’t be the first thing people see on your Wikipedia page. Are you game?

Rule No. 1: Stay. Out. Of. The. Strip. Club.
The Offenders: Adam “Pacman” Jones, Vince Young, Stephen Jackson
The Reason: Did you know that, as a professional athlete, you’re 78 percent less likely to get arrested on any given night if you’re not at a strip club? Okay, so we made that up. But we’re pretty sure one like it does exist. Think about everything that could go wrong at a strip club; fights, assaults, shoot-outs. And that’s for people who aren’t rich. Stay out of the strip club and you’ll guaranteed to dodge these mishaps. Plain. And. Simple.

Rule No. 2: Don’t get married… until after you retire!
The Offenders: Tiger Woods, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal
The Reason: As a pro athlete, you’re gonna spend days, weeks, months, even years at a time on the road. So while you might love your wife and think about her every time “Best I Ever Had” comes on, there’ll be a point when that love is tested. And if you’re not gonna see your wife much anyway, what’s the point of getting married? Skip the future alimony hearings, keep your money and wait until you’re done playing (both on and off the court) to settle down.

Rule No. 3: Unless you’re having sex — don’t stay strapped.
The Offenders: Gilbert Arenas, Plaxico Burress, Shaun Rodgers
The Reason: What is so hard about this, fellas? Guns are only going to get you into trouble. We understand that you are a target now that you’re making millions of dollars — but you’re also gonna be a target in prison if you get caught packing. Not guns on the inside homie. Stick to staying strapped in the bedroom, not the club. Word to Weezy.

Read rules 4-10 at TheBVX.com!

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Did Kobe Bryant not get the “no bitchassness” memo from P. Diddy?  After winning his fifth NBA title a reporter asked the Los Angeles Lakers MVP what the championship meant to him “individually” and he replied, “I’ve got one more than Shaq.”

The room erupted in laughter but Bryant followed up with,”You can take that to the bank. You guys know me. I don’t forget anything.”

(the shot comes at :57)

Most folks thought that Kobe and Shaq ended their long-standing feud after playing together in the NBA All-Star game for the Western Conference. Shaq even cheered for Kobe in 2009 telling him “to go get four” referring to the fourth title. He also congratulated him on his Twitter Page. “I know what you’re sayin’ ‘Shaq How My Ass Taste.”

But these comments last night from Black Mamba make it appear than Kobe is still living up to his namesake and that the beef is still on.

What do you think: was Kobe joking or is he still mad at The Diesel?

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Even with his Cleveland Cavaliers season at an end (and possibly his career if he retires) basketball great Shaquille O’Neal will try to add another championship title to his resume: spelling champion.

The Big Aristotle challenged last year’s Scripps National Spelling Bee champion, 14-year-old Kavya Shivashankar, to a spell-off on Friday.

O’Neal made an unscheduled appearance at the hotel where the bee is under way this week. He challenged Shivashankar onstage after the sixth round of semifinals. She accepted his challenge, even allowing him two misspelled words, warning him she beat Jimmy Kimmel in a similar challenge last year.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” she asked O’Neal, the tallest person in the ballroom. “I did win the national spelling bee last year.”

“Keep in mind I have my bachelor’s and master’s, and I’m ready to go,” he said.

And a champion scrabble player. Don’t hurt ‘em Shaq.

Celebrities should not be allowed to have webcams.

First you got Stephon Marbury eating vaseline and crying over Kirk Franklin songs on his webcam, and now there’s Shaquille O’Neal, a wig (who’s wig is that anyway???), and Rick James & Teena Marie’s “Fire And Desire.”

I’m speechless.

Apparently Shaq was having a moment with deceased R&B singers, because he went for Aaliyah’s version of “At Your Best (You Are Love)” as well…

Spotted @ Bossip & NecoleBitchie.com

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RELATED: O’Neal In Prickly Legal Fight Over “Shaqtus”

From TMZ

A legal war is raging over the nickname Shaq earned during his days playing for the Phoenix Suns– The Shaqtus.

FRIDAY FIVE: Shaq’s Real Life Attacks

According to a lawsuit filed in Las Vegas, Shaq claims a random businessman beat him to the punch in registering for the Shaqtus trademark — and it’s causing a serious problem for Shaq’s business.

In the lawsuit, filed by a company run by Shaq, the basketball star claims the businessman tried to shut down Shaq’s hilarious ESPN commercial, in which he goes to the desert, finds the Shaqtus, and refuses to let anyone else touch it.

ESPN blew the guy off — but now Shaq is looking to take back full control of the Shaqtus trademark.

RUMOR: Shaq’s In Love With A Stripper?

But according to the suit, the businessman isn’t going down without a fight — arguing that Shaq consented to his use of the Shaqtus because Shaq once took a photo with a guy and autographed a shirt for him.

NBA star and part time actor Shaquille O’Neal now has a show on ABC called “Shaq VS” where he takes on professionals in other sports. The competitions seem to be all in good fun but Shaq has had some real life battles that might make better TV.

5) Vs.Dwight Howard

When asked last season if Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard was the next Shaq O’Neal replied, “He’s a good player, but everything he’s done, I’ve invented. So I’m not impressed.” Later on Shaq posted a picture of what Howard and his coach, Stan Van Gundy’s baby would look like. While he hasn’t retaliated directly Howard recently made fun of Shaq in an ESPN interview with a spot on impersonation. We’ll see what happens on the court this season.

4) Vs. His biological father.

On his album Shaq Fu: The Return O’neal voiced his feelings of disdain for his biological father, Joseph Toney on “Biological Didn’t Bother.”
“You brought me into the world but your not my dad
Mess around with those drugs makes my moms mad..”
Toney was in prison when Shaq was an infant and surrendered his parental rights to O’Neal’s stepfather, Phillip A. Harrison (pictured above).

3)Vs His Wife

On September 4, 2007, O’Neal filed for divorce from his wife Shaunie in a Miami-Dade Circuit court. According to the petition, “The marriage between the parties is irretrievably broken”, and that Shaunie was “secretive about her assets .” The Big Aristotle thought she was hiding money but Shaunie later said that the couple had gotten back together and that the divorce was withdrawn.

2) Vs His Right Wrist

O’Neal is a career 52.6% free throw shooter, sixth-worst among players with a minimum of 1,200 attempts. A wrist injury from childhood makes it difficult for him to flex it properly making the “Hack-A-Shaq” (fouling him and forcing him to miss freethrows) a common practice in the NBA.

1) Vs Kobe Bryant

On June 22, 2008, O’Neal freestyled a diss rap about Bryant in a New York club. While rapping, O’Neal blamed Kobe for his divorce from his wife Shaunie and claims to have received a vasectomy, as part of a rhyme. He also taunted Bryant for not being able to win a championship without him. O’Neal led the audience to mockingly chant several times “Kobe, tell me how my a$$ tastes.”

Shaq lost his Maricopa County Sheriff’s badge for his freestyle, but unfortunately, not his license to rap.

He and Kobe have since reconciled and Shaq became his cheerleader from the sideline during the 2009 NBA finals.

Young, Black & Fabulous is reporting that Shaquille O’Neal has yet another chick on the side.

…who just happens to be a stripper.

The story goes that the former employee of Atlanta’s The Diamond Club was living in Shaq’s home in Cleveland with her one-year old son while Shaq’s soon-to-be-ex-wife, Shaunie, stayed in Florida where her kids were in school.

Stay tuned.

Here’s big Shaq fighting with De La Hoya.