Shaq Talks Back

by O'Neal, Shaquille

• ISBN13: 9780312278458
• ISBN10: 0312278454
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2001-04-07
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Summary

It's rare to discover a candid sports autobiography-- even rare when the author is one of the most recognizable athletes in the world. But in Shaq Talks Back, Shaquille O'Neal for the first time talks frankly about his childhood, his life, his rivalries, and his career, culminating in a dramatic, behind-the-scenes account of the Los Angeles Lakers' drive to the NBA Championship. At seven feet one inch tall and 330 pounds, Shaq has always faced outsized expectations, even as a child when he towered over other kids. Shaq Talks Back is the story of how potential became reality-- how someone expected to be a champion finally learned to become one. Beginning with his memory of crying on the court after the Lakers defeated the Indiana Pacers, Shaq takes us back to his younger days in Newark and Jersey City, New Jersey, then to Georgia and finally to Germany, where he began to harness some of his height and strength. From there, he recounts the remarkable progress of his basketball career, changing from a big but inexperienced teenager to a dominant college and professional player. Shaq talks about: * Playing at Louisiana State University for the unpredictable coach Dale Brown * Signing the biggest rookie contract ever with the Orlando Magic-- and going to the NBA Finals for the first time * What happened next: dissention, disappointment, and his decision to leave for Los Angeles * The dysfunctional Lakers who were never able to win the big games * Dealing with egos as he finds the right chemistry with Kobe Bryant, Phil Jackson, and new additions to the team * Rivalries with Alonzo Mourning, Patrick Ewing, Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, and others * The trouble with free throws... * "Bling-bling" and women: the larger-than-life world of NBA players off the court * Inside the Lakers' comeback from the brink against Portland and the drive to the NBA championship Funny, insightful, opinionated, and unexpectedly moving, Shaq Talks Back is the true voice of the NBA's best player.

Author Biography

Shaquille O'Neal lives in Los Angeles. He is the center for the World Champion Los Angeles Lakers and was chosen as the Most Valuable Player in the NBA for the 1999-2000 season.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	ix
Why I Cried (And Why You Should Read My Book)	1	(4)
Where I Came From and How I Got So Damn Big	5	(34)
Almost Magic, Almost a title	39	(18)
Growing Pains (Why the Old Lakers Couldn't Win the Big One)	57	(18)
Summit Meeting (How That Zen Cat Kicked Our Be-Hinds and Made Us See What We Wanted)	75	(18)
Time Out Free Throws: My Kryptonite	87	(6)
The Big Little Brother (Or How Kobe and I Learned to Swim Instead of Sink)	93	(12)
Dead Presidents and Free Agents	105	(22)
Time Out My Sister	123	(4)
To Live and Strive in L.A. (and the NBA)	127	(36)
Glossary ShaqSpeak: A Shaq-to-English Translation for Those Not Schooled in the Language of Homeboy	162	(1)
Nuthin' but Actors; Around the NBA	163	(24)
Time Out The Original Shaq Daddy	183	(4)
The 1999-2000 Regular Season (Or, When We Learned How Good We Could Be)	187	(22)
The Playoffs	209	(44)
Time Out Shaqfari	247	(6)
The Future	253