Are The Orlanda Magic Really That Desperate For A GM? Edit- False Alarm But It Would Be Funny Though

[Spectacular23]

[h3]Magic To Interview Shaq For GM Vacancy[/h3]
May 23, 2012 9:37 PM EDT

Shaquille O'Neal will interview with the Magic for their general manager vacancy, according to a source.

O'Neal was drafted by the Magic in 1992.

O'Neal retired following the 10-11 season.

The Magic believe the presence of O'Neal within the front office would help their chances of retaining Howard. Sources close to O'Neal and Howard contend they have a friendly relationship. O'Neal has been a confidante to Howard throughout the season as he has dealt with an uncertain future with the franchise.

Read more: http://basketball.realgm.com/news#ixzz1vkWc7CbP

 

[Bert.]

dude is dumb as a rock and can barely speak proper english.

dwight is def staying

JK obviously

 

[dmbrhs]

Whatever it takes to get him off TNT.

 

[trunks206]

Originally Posted by dmbrhs

Whatever it takes to get him off TNT.

THIS.THIS. THIS.
Shaq ment alot to their franchise so they have to interview him if he expressed interest but they would be mad to give him the job. 

 

[アミーゴ]

Originally Posted by trunks206

Originally Posted by dmbrhs

Whatever it takes to get him off TNT.

THIS.THIS. THIS.
Shaq ment alot to their franchise so they have to interview him if he expressed interest but they would be mad to give him the job. 

But I wouldn't be.

 

[DCAllAfrican]

So what if he can't speak proper English, what does that have to do with his potential to run an organization?

 

[thehealthinspector]

Originally Posted by dmbrhs

Whatever it takes to get him off TNT.

 

[thapointguy]

Goodbye Dwight, only one Superman in town

I see Shaq as a better sheriff than GM

 

[aepps20]

SMH is this dude going to give Bizzaro G3 level security clearance? SMH

 

[ogbobbyjohnson773]

Originally Posted by DCAllAmerican

So what if he can't speak proper English, what does that have to do with his potential to run an organization?

 

[DPancakes]

He's gonna send Dwight to the Lakers.

 

[KMante]

They are trying to run Dwight out of town 

 

[senorroboto2k5]

Say what you will about him on TNT, but the one thing that is painfully clear is that he doesn't know anything about the NBA or its players today.

 

[mben32]

Let my man cook. 

 

[mmg]

they have to be trollin

 

[thachosen123]

Those "sources" could all be shaqs people tryna get his name out there......I call 200% BS on this story

 

[westcoastsfinest]

Originally Posted by durty pancakes

He's gonna send Dwight to the Lakers.

Only one Superman in town. 

 

[big j 33]

This won't happen.

 

[True Blues]

It's a longshot.

Not to mention, it was also "reported" by Chris Broussard.

Wednesday, May 23, 2012
The notion of Shaq as GM

---

By Marc Stein

Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images
Can you dig it? Does Shaquille O'Neal have a future working the phones as a GM?

George Mikan. John Kundla. Fred Schaus. Pete Newell. Bill Sharman.

And, of course, Jerry West.

Those are some of the names of the general managers who filled that highest of high-profile posts with the Los Angeles Lakers before Mitch Kupchak built a championship team of his own.

And then there's Shaquille O'Neal.

The same Shaq who used to tell anyone in Lakerland who would listen: I'm better than all of 'em.

In the same shameless manner he's prone to proclaim his boundless greatness several nights a week from the TNT set, Shaq used to say it all the time back in the day: Convincing Gary Payton and Karl Malone to play for the Lakers almost for free in the 2003-04 season made him the best GM they've ever had in L.A.

So if you find it beyond-belief outlandish that Shaq would be campaigning for the suddenly vacant GM job in Orlando -- where his NBA career began and where he still lives -- you haven't been paying much attention for, uh, roughly two decades.

Not that I'm going to get too worked up about the possibility. Not that I can foresee Shaq, with roughly zero front-office qualifications, coming anywhere close to getting the job.

The Magic aren't talking publicly about their GM or coach search and refused comment Wednesday night when asked specifically to respond to my ESPN The Magazine colleague Chris Broussard's report on "NBA Countdown" that Shaq and Orlando officials could meet as soon as next week to discuss the opening.

But here's my best read on the subject with the help of a few observers plugged into the league's front-office grapevine: Shaq has been lobbying behind the scenes to be considered for the position, and the Magic -- in spite of the nastiest of divorces with O'Neal in the summer of 1996 -- are willing to at least sit down with the 40-year-old and give him the courtesy of hearing what he has to say.

That's a long way from actually hiring Shaq. A L-O-N-G way, to borrow from Larry Bird's spelling technique, from letting Shaq come back to a franchise he leveled as a free agent to be the guy who either convinces Dwight Howard to finally commit to the Magic long-term (after feuding with Dwight for years) or immediately takes on the monster responsibility of trying to find a sensible trade for Howard before next season (as rookie GM).

The mere mention of Shaq, even if he turns out to be something more than a courtesy candidate, surely (and sadly) overshadows the most interesting part of Broussard's notebook-on-TV report, which revealed that the Magic's secret dream is trying to find a way to convince Doc Rivers to leave the Boston Celtics to come back to Central Florida.

Now THAT makes sense. It's the longest of long shots with Doc only just finishing Year 1 of a new five-year, $35 million contract to coach the Celts, but Orlando's thinking there is steeped in sound logic. If they could somehow convince Rivers to rejoin the Magic -- even if Doc insisted on a management-only role -- Dwight would surely be wowed. And the number of true stars in the Magic Kingdom would instantly double.

Don't have a clue how the Magic plan to convince Boston to let Doc out of his contract, but why let details get in the way? The mere idea is the smartest we've heard out of Orlando in years.

I still tend to think that hiring Donnie Walsh to replace Otis Smith will wind up being the best available move for the Magic as they launch the post-Stan Van Gundy era, but there's no reason not to aim high. Go for it, Magic.

Chase Doc. Ask for permission to speak with him when Boston's season ends. Better idea than anything we've heard so far. Better than all of 'em.

 

[es el]

thiss guy, i thought it was a joke

 

[boomboomskeetskeet]

I'm obviously in the minority on this but I think he'd do a good job

 

[Lizakers]

Worst hire ever if it happens

 

[arstyle27]

Originally Posted by dmbrhs

Whatever it takes to get him off TNT.

 

[airmaxpenny1]

Originally Posted by DCAllAmerican

So what if he can't speak proper English, what does that have to do with his potential to run an organization?

I understand you like to play Devil's advocate but this doesn't even make sense

 

[senorroboto2k5]

Barkley would need to get hired as a GM somewhere so Shaq could just repeat everything he does