267: 118: Truth and Shaq (Asking for monthly tickets!) 267: 118: Truth and Shaq (Asking for monthly tickets!) Roger stormed into the general manager’s office, where general manager John Gabriel and equipment manager Jacob Diamond were discussing work-related matters.
Seeing Roger enter, Gabriel, who was sitting and talking with someone else, stood up.
The adult world is just that realistic; your value determines how others treat you, and they don’t mind changing their attitude right in front of you.
“Roger, is something the matter?”
Roger first looked towards Jacob Diamond, the equipment manager with whom both Shaq and Roger had a good relationship, “Jacob, sorry to take a few minutes of your time,” then Roger handed a copy of the “Orlando Sentinel” to Gabriel, “John, have you read the newspaper?
What’s going on here?”
John Gabriel took the newspaper, very calmly: “A dancer claims Shaq’s leg is only 10 centimeters long?
Hahaha, this news is pretty funny.
Tell me it’s not true, Roger.”
Roger didn’t laugh: “You know that’s not what I’m talking about.”
“Oh, I’ve seen that stupid poll too.
My opinion is the same as Mr.
DeVos’s; that damn newspaper should be thrown out of Orlando.”
“What newspaper starts talking about contract renewals right at the start of the season?”
“I don’t know, but Shaq’s renewal has always been a hot topic.”
“I feel like it’s more of a warning.”
“What do you mean?” Gabriel looked up at Roger, his gaze becoming much sharper.
“Come on, John, you’re not the only one with friends in the media, I’ve heard all about what’s going on.
Just stop it, you’re messing up my team!
Shaq did indeed go too far, but we’ll handle it ourselves, no need for management to intervene!”
Roger of course knew what Gabriel had done: using the media to give Shaq a reminder, some pressure, then the Sentinel gets its sales—a win-win situation.
Everyone wishes Shaq would take things seriously, but this method is utterly foolish.
John Gabriel almost couldn’t help laughing out loud.
This team only belongs to Rich DeVos, and even if one day it belongs to someone else, it would be the next owner.
“Roger, I don’t know what you are talking about.
You stormed into my office and started saying things that make no sense.
I’ve never disrespected you, but this kind of behaviour is really disrespectful to me.”
“The biggest disrespect is sticking your hand into the locker room, it doesn’t matter whether you admit it or not, I just want to tell you, stop this behaviour.
Have a good day, John.”
After speaking, Roger walked out of the office.
John Gabriel sat back in his boss chair; this conversation wasn’t completely fruitless, at least Gabriel knew, Roger was on Shaq’s side.
He would never be one of his people.
“Jacob, where were we?” Gabriel didn’t even glance at the equipment manager in front of him.
He was a person who clearly distinguished between class and friend or foe.
Roger returned to the locker room and found O’Neal furiously tearing up the newspaper in his hands.
The Sentinel is forever blacklisted by me!” Shaq was very angry, as today’s “Orlando Sentinel” had a poll where 65% of the fans voted that the team didn’t need to keep Shaq with a high salary if they had Roger.
This is why Roger was so angry; he couldn’t see why the management would stir up such a suspicious act when the team atmosphere was good.
Of course, Roger couldn’t tell Shaq this directly, as it would instigate a standoff between Shaq and the team, and that was not the outcome Roger wanted.
All he could do now was warn John to stop creating trouble, and then to soothe that baby shark’s mood.
“Me too, I will never accept an interview from the Sentinel again,” Roger echoed.
“I knew you would stand with me!
But, is this poll for real?
Do Orlando fans really think they don’t need me?”
“This poll isn’t transparent at all, who knows if those numbers were just made up.
Don’t mind it, Shaq.”
“I think so too, with my personal charm, 99% of Orlando fans surely love me, hahaha!” said Shaq, overly confident.
Regardless, Shaq’s mood was temporarily stable regarding this matter.
Since it wasn’t the sensitive period for contract renewals yet, the impact of the poll wasn’t significant.
But if it were to happen again during the off-season when it was time for renewals, it would be much more troubling.
However, right now, the media wasn’t the only trouble on Shaq’s mind.
Brian Hill, in today’s practice, out of every ten things he said, almost half were scolding Shaq.
“Dumb ox, move faster, you’re even more indecisive than my mother!”
“God, are you still drinking soda?
Want another cheeseburger with a couple of fries stuck in it?”
“Look, the great Shaquille O’Neal, running a few back and forth starts wheezing with his hands on his hips.
With your current body, you couldn’t play more than 15 minutes on the court!”
Brian Hill had always been dissatisfied with Shaq’s previously casual attitude and was harboring a lot of anger.
So now, he was unpleasant to watch him do anything.
After the first day of training ended, O’Neal was already thinking of slacking; he told Brian Hill, “I think I could play a match right away without any problems.
Body fat percentage and all that don’t matter at all!
I don’t need physical training, I don’t need to lose weight, I just need to play!
Winning is about scoring, not who has the lowest body fat percentage!”