Mavericks have some fond memories of Shaq

Caron Butler remembers his signature Shaq moment like it was
yesterday.
 
“I remember he fouled me pretty hard when I was
playing with Washington and then he kissed me on the head,’’ Butler
said. “That’s one of my YouTube moments with Shaq.’’
 
The Mavericks expressed a touch of sadness that Shaquille
O’Neal announced his retirement. The game has lost a great ambassador and
a great person, they said.
 
“Knowing him personally, he took me under his wing as
a youngster,’’ said Tyson Chandler, who was a high-schooler in the
Los Angeles area when O’Neal was with the Lakers. “Not only was he
huge for the game on the court, but off the court as well. He meant so much to
youngsters like myself, mentoring us.
 
“His personality was contagious. He was always there,
whether it was somebody in the league or somebody like me in high school trying
to make the league.’’
 
Jason Kidd, who moved into fourth place on the NBA’s
“oldest player’’ list with Shaq’s announcement, said
he’ll never forget when O’Neal burst on the scene.
 
“My best memory is the McDonald’s All-America
Game, when he went coast to coast,’’ Kidd said. “He let us
know right then that he was going to change the game. And he did.’’
 
Eddie Sefko