"The only thing I call cowardly is when you're up by 10 and do it. That's a cowardly move. I didn't say nothing last year, but that's a coward move. They should really do something about that. When you're down, I can see using it as a strategy, but when you're up 10, 15 points, there's really no need for that. I was fine with that. It doesn't work. It may work in a series, but it's not going to get you to the championship. San Antonio tried it, but they went home a couple weeks after we went home. I just have to go to the line and make them pay. And I will."

And I truly believe that Shaq really will make the Spurs pay. Assuming he employs the same method of "vengeance" he used against Kobe Bryant in last year's NBA Finals (i.e., let the Boston Celtics do it for him). Of course, Shaq also let everybody know that the best offense is, as always, getting him the ball and letting him re-distribute it to open shooters. That's how contracts are made, baby!

"You know, and it's just common sense, I got two guys on me, somebody's open. So like I've been telling the young guys and telling Raja, is that, there's a lot of guys who got new contracts off me, just knowing where to be, you know, all the way from Travis Knight to Damon Jones. That's just being in the right spot at the right time and I'm getting it to them. Jason Kapono, James Posey..."

That's right. The Hornets acquired Posey this summer because of all those open shots Shaq was getting him last...wait a minute. Oh, and about the Suns' defense:

"If our guards can't stay in front of guards, I don't know how you expect a big guy to stay in front of guards."

Regarding the redonkulous three-pointer Tim Duncan hit to send Game 1 of the previously mentioned playoff series into overtime:

"If I pick up Parker, somebody gotta pick up Duncan. [There was] no rotation, no nothing. Like, you know, like the last play of the game where they said 'switch,' and when I switch, nobody took Tim. He hit a fucking three."

Just to sum all this up for you: Popovich is a coward, Shaq doubles as an agent for all his current and former teammates, and his defensive shortcomings are all somebody else's fault. Yep, that about covers it.

Shaq calls Spurs cowards, rips Nash and Suns' defense [Ball Don't Lie]

Shaq calls Spurs Cowards and Disses Nash and Amare [Bright Side of the Sun]

Why the change of heart? This is how still-Mrs. Shaq put it:

"Neither one of us could probably answer why we were getting one in the first place. Things have been going so great, that someone actually had to remind us that 'Hey, you do remember those papers are still there.' Literally, it was days ago. So, we've agreed that before we leave Florida in a few days we'll make sure that that's gone away."

Well, Shaq spelled out the "why" quite colorfully, both in his anti-Kobe rap and the divorce petition, which stated: "The marriage between the parties is irretrievably broken," and that Shaunie was "secretive about her assets...particularly with respect to certain properties owned or titled in either [her] name alone or in other entities." But whatever. Nothing, apparently, is stronger than the large amounts of money they would have to split up between them love.

Now, I'm sure this is just a coincidence, but Shaunie is preparing to launch her own video-sharing Web site, which is intended to showcase children and their talents, providing families a kid-friendly (and fun!) place to upload and share videos. I can't wait!

If you're considering giving a lift to an NBA center and concerned that your two-door coup might be a smidgen smallish, take heart from this story from a guy and his girlfriend who were able to transport Shaq to a restaurant in Scottsdale.

Hey, I was at Scottsdale Fashion Square today and ran into Shaq. I was with my girlfriend and we were driving to the mall when i saw Shaq's enormous black truck. We followed him into an office complex and asked to take a picture with him. He said we could as long as I gave him a ride. So after taking pics he hopped in the car and I drove him to the Grand Lux. Pretty sweet.

He actually wanted a ride. He couldn't park his huge truck near the restaurant so he parked a 1/2 mile away and was gonna walk but asked me for a ride instead.

I'm sure Yao Ming has a bigger rice burner, but then he probably shouldn't be driving right about now.