Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
The funny thing about nostalgia is that people only tend to remember the good times. This is what comes to mind every time a Dwyane Wade lob to Hassan Whiteside has fans reminiscing about the Shaquille O’Neal years in Miami. It’s not just the alley-oops, but the nights where he goes for 25 points, 19 rebounds and furthers his double-double streaks with ease. Numbers like those are almost guaranteed to put Whiteside in the upper echelon of Miami Heat max contracts. This is what makes fans nervous about the team’s free agency chances at Kevin Durant and others following the 7-footer’s potential payout.
However, that is not the prospect that should scare you.
Take an overview of the situation and onlookers will notice that the O’Neal comparisons run a little deeper than dunks and silly “Gladiator” nicknames like Maximus Hassanus. The fun-loving big man is always loved in the league. Pundits prop them up and laugh at the jokes, but they end up overlooking the splashes of selfishness that shines in their personalities.
Sure every superstar — and wannabe counterpart — needs a healthy bit of ego to survive in the NBA, but the Heat have seen this before. They know that Whiteside’s subtle digs about getting the ball more and his poorly masked “cage lion” references (after being benched) can easily turn into a big man mutiny after he gets paid. Something like the remix of O’Neal allegedly almost coming to blows with Pat Riley and dogging Wade after getting what he wanted, in the form of one more ring than Kobe Bryant (at the time).
The talking went up and the effort dipped until he was out the door. At this point, though, you have to give Whiteside the benefit of the doubt and hope for the Heat’s sake that if the other side of nostalgia kicks in, it at least comes with a ring.
Richard Nurse is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @blackirishpr or add him to your network on Google.
