I’ve been meaning all week to write up something on the Shaq and Boozer stories. They are both very interesting sports business stories. They involve negotiation, intrigue, betrayal and hope. Good stuff. Unfortunately, I’ve never quite had the time to put all my thoughts together coherently.
Fortunately, both issues were brought up in the Sports Shack and I’ve weighed in there. Go here for discussion on Boozer. The Shaq discussion is here. Feel free to jump in.
Bottom lines:
Boozer – I think he screwed the Cavs. They messed up sure, but he went too far. Your word is your word, even if it’s not always legally binding. When your agent quits (over pressure from his bosses), forgoing his $2.7m cut, you know something is amiss.
Shaq – Like everyone else on the planet (Simmons, Wilbon), I think the Lakers made a mistake by picking Kobe over Shaq. Once that happened though and Shaq demanded a trade, I think this one wasn’t too bad. It’s not an equal trade, but the Lakers had little else to pick from.
Newsbreak – Kobe decided to stay with the Lakers. Mitch Kupchak can come back off the ledge. No word yet on Lakers’ games being held in Kobe’s backyard.