Shaq attack only adds to Kobe's problems

dwilson

I thought Kobe Bryant had enough problems healing his injured knee and fighting for his life in court.

Apparently he needed a few more.

So he decided to tell the media that his teammate Shaquille O'Neal was "fat," "childlike," "unprofessional," "selfish" and "jealous."

The best thing going for Bryant is the support his fans and the nation have given him during his legal struggles. Some of that support comes through sympathy, but it's hard to sympathize with a player who lashes out at his teammates.

It's true, O'Neal is not a small man and Lakers fans know the team's biggest offseason project was getting Shaq back into shape. Perhaps, this isn't the best time for Bryant to critique that action.

Is there anything Kobe couldn't have told Shaq in private?

He could have worked this out in the locker room instead of in view of the public. Instead, his teammates have to answer more questions about him rather than focus on the season.

Bryant wants to use basketball to escape from his other court problems, but because of his bickering with Shaq it will be hard to even do that.

Shaq did take the heat off of Bryant, for now at least. Shaq acted even bigger than his 7-foot-1, 340-pound frame on Friday when he broke his silence and said his latest feud with Bryant was "over with."

"He's boisterous. I'm boisterous. I don't take anything personally," Shaq said.

It would be nice if that was true, but this is far from over.

Kobe's trial is only going to get worse and that will strain the already weakened relationship between the two. If Kobe is already bubbling over in the first week of the season, how will he feel in mid-January?

I know how I feel now. Like I'm ready to give you your week ahead:

Today

The Class 3, District 1 boys soccer semifinals will be held at Notre Dame Regional High school. Sikeston plays Notre Dame at 7 p.m.

Tuesday

The Blues are hosting the defending Western Conference champion Mighty Ducks and it's also Bass Pro camouflage hat night for the first 15, 000 fans.

Thursday

Arkansas will host South Carolina less than a week after its seven overtime marathon against Kentucky. The game will be played at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock at 6:30 p.m.

Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team will host Truman State University in its first exhibition game. There's plenty of reasons to be excited about the team, so let's hope more people show up. Last year, you could turn fire hydrants on in certain sections and no one would have gotten wet. The women's team plays Union at 5:30 p.m. The men are at 8 p.m.

Saturday

First-place Tennessee State visits Cape Girardeau this week for an OVC showdown. Southeast could climb into at least a tie for first place if the stars align themselves correctly. This is a must win for Southeast, the preseason favorite to claim the OVC title. Game begins at 6 p.m.

Down the road

Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. today for the Missouri/Illinois "Braggin rights" basketball game on Dec. 23 at the Savvis Center.

David Wilson is a sportswriter for the Southeast Missourian and a student at Central High School. His column appears every Monday.