This is Bryant Gumbel’s final commentary on tonight’s Real Sports on HBO.
BRYANT GUMBEL CLOSING COMMENTARYREAL SPORTS WITH BRYANT GUMBEL EPISODE #158 AIRS TONIGHT (5/18) @ 10:00 PM ET/PT, 9:00 PM CT
“Finally tonight a few words about Shaquille O’Neal. When the Cleveland Cavaliers got bounced from the NBA playoffs last week, so much attention was focused on the future of LeBron James that few stopped to consider that the game may have also marked the last in the career of Shaquille O’Neal.
O’Neal says he’d like to keep playing, but in light of his age and seriously diminished effectiveness, there figure to be few takers…and that’s unfortunate because for 19 seasons O’Neal has been an enormously engaging presence in a league sadly lacking in charisma. Petty and petulant at times, O’Neal has also been in every way, personable and professional.
Although he’d no doubt argue the point, the truth is Shaq will never rank among the game’s most elite centers. His four championships pale in comparison to Bill Russell’s 11. His scoring marks are a far cry from those posted by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. And his dominance never even approached that of Wilt Chamberlain. Still, Shaq’s headed for his sport’s hall of fame with a ton of money in tow and his good name to boot…and in light of the times, that’s no small achievement.
In our YouTube, TMZ, gotcha world it’s hard for athletes to hide…especially one who’s been as big in every way as Shaq has been…and yet there’s no evidence to suggest that Shaquille Rashaun O’Neal has ever been anything other than an exemplary citizen. That’s why I thought it a shame last week that while everyone was gawking at the latest star to be at center stage, a bigger man was quietly slipping out the side door for perhaps the last time. If it was his farewell, he deserves more applause than he got.”
I’m out right now. I’ll be back later.
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