Product Description

At seven feet one inch tall and 330 pounds, Los Angeles Lakers' center Shaquille O'Neal is a giant both on and off the basketball court. Now, for the first time, Shaq talks openly about his childhood, his life, his rivalries, and his career to give you a dramatic, behind-the-scenes account. Newly updated to include the Lakers' win against the 76ers for their second consecutive NBA Championship, Shaq recounts the remarkable progress of his basketball career, changing from a big but inexperienced teenager to a dominant college and professional player. Shaq talks back about:* Signing the biggest rookie contract ever with the Orlando Magic-and going to the NBA Finals for the first time * Rivalries with Alonzo Mourning, Patrick Ewing, Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, Allen Iverson, and others * Kobe Bryant, Phil Jackson, Ron Harper, and other Lakers' teammates * "Bling-bling" and women: the larger-than-life world of NBA players off the court * Inside the Lakers' comeback from the brink against Portland and the drive to the NBA championship * New for this edition: the 2000-2001 season and repeating as NBA championsFunny, insightful, opinionated, and honest, SHAQ TALKS BACK is the true voice of the NBA's best player.AUTHORBIO: SHAQUILLE O'NEAL lives in Los Angeles. He is the center for the World Champion Los Angeles Lakers and was chosen as the Most Valuable Player in the NBA for the 1999-2000 season. He was also named the MVP of the 2000-2001 NBA championship series.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #119455 in Books
• Published on: 2002-02-18
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 272 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780312982591
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Publishers Weekly
Shaq's new book (after Shaq and the Beanstalk) is entertaining, controversial and funny, like its author. He recounts his life story, from his childhood in Newark through winning the 2000 NBA Championship. Shaq's prose is uneven and repetitive in patches, but he writes in an authentic and likable voice throughout. Unlike other sports autobiographies, in which a co-writer essentially invents an athlete's "writing style," Shaq's words are his own fans will recognize his distinctive, opinionated voice. The text is broken up by interludes written by important people in Shaq's life (from his mother to his personal cook). Those passages provide a change of tone and lend perspective to Shaq's story. He speaks frankly about his current and former teammates and coaches, as well as the state of the NBA and of the world in general. Some of the statements in this book could get him in trouble with his NBA colleagues, but Shaq's honesty is part of what makes him such fun to read. Though Shaq devotes a lot of the book to his life off the court (his movies, rap albums, celebrity life), there's enough basketball here to satisfy hardcore hoops junkies (fans will be especially intrigued by his analysis of last season's championship run). (Apr.) Forecast: Shaq's appealing personality, controversial statements and celebrity should endear this candid, bold book to basketball fans. It would probably do well even without much promotion, but with a national author tour and print advertising, big sales seem virtually assured.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Readers who feel the NBA today is rife with self-centered athletes will be pleasantly surprised to read this book by a young man who seems team oriented and, at most times, quite level-headed. His recent difficulties with Kobe Bryant, the other star of the Los Angeles Lakers, notwithstanding, O'Neal comes across as the leader of the defending NBA champions. In many ways, O'Neal has become as disciplined as his stepfather, a retired U.S. Army NCO, but there are still hints that there is a 15-year-old trying to break out of a 30-year-old's body. What is particularly revealing here is his discussion of his career in the league, focusing on the Lakers championship under Coach Phil Jackson. O'Neal is quite candid about his relationships with his coaches, particularly several he did not feel provided sufficient leadership. Also of interest is his candid appraisal of NBA players, past and present. O'Neal is a complex man who just recently earned a college degree from Louisiana State University and tells the story of his life in an entertaining fashion. The language is a bit rough, but the book is still recommended for public libraries. William Scheeren, Hempfield Area H.S. Lib., Greensburg, PA
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Shaquille O'Neal, all seven-feet-something, 330 pounds of him, is the dominant player in the NBA today, the man in the middle on the world-champion Los Angeles Lakers. His words draw a crowd because he's a marquee star, but the question, as it always is with sports autobiographies, is whether he has anything to say. The answer is not much. The story of his loving but sometimes harshly disciplined childhood with his mom and military stepfather does provide an explanation as to why, despite a few on-court controversies, Shaq has managed to handle his fame with dignity and humor. Both of those qualities are present here as he recounts his college years, his entry into the NBA after his sophomore season, and the early years in Orlando that included a promising a trip to the NBA finals but ended with acrimony. Now that he's 30 and owns a championship ring, he feels free to talk about fellow players, coaches, and media. A petulant side emerges here (the talking-back part); clearly, Shaq holds a grudge, even against Lenny Wilkens (the all-time winningest NBA coach) who only played Shaq for 43 seconds in the Olympic gold medal game. He's also hard on television commentator Pete Vescey ("That crazy cat will write anything"). In the end, NBA fans, who form the built-in audience for this book, will find it more substantive than they might have expected but without any significant revelations. On balance: a nice enough, very rich young man tells his story with as much panache as he can muster. Wes Lukowsky
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Customer Reviews

Shaq Talks Tough
'Shaq Talks Back: The Uncensored Word on My Life and Winning in the NBA' is a giant of a book written by a sporting superstar. Shaquille O'Neal shoots clean baskets from every part of the literary court, delighting and dazzling the reader with his unique writing style. He has as much facility with language as he does with the ball, and his words bounce off the page with effortless grace.

There are many memorable encounters played and replayed throughout the text, but for me, the one that best epitomizes Shaq's sporting philosophy is seen on pages 68-81. It relates to the famous 'International Incident of 1996', and O'Neal is candid about his pivotal role:

'I first saw him in Europe and I'll never forget his name; Teodor Dobrowski. He played center for the Warsaw Warriors and he was a giant. Great skills. Hands the size of frisbees. By all reports a standup guy. So when he told me he wanted to settle in America, I arranged for him to try out for the Lakers. Even let him stay at my place. Eat my food. Drink my beer. Date my girl. He wanted to show his gratitude so he offered to sell me his family castle in Krakow for only $7000. I gave him cash. Big mistake. There was no castle. Not even a family. The bum scammed me. So I stuck him on an ageing Aeroflot and wished him luck. All of it bad. End of story. And he got those cuts and bruises when he fell out of the cab on the way to the airport. Honest. If I'd known that diplomats would later be recalled, two embassies closed, the Secretary of State ordered back to Washington and the UN General Assembly reconvened, I might have actually paid the cabfare before running away at the terminal. Do I regret sending the grifter back to Warsaw? Never. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's being touched by a 10-foot Pole.'

When 'Shaq Talks Back', you'd better listen. Better still, read this wonderful book.

Shaq's life Uncensored
Shaq takes you through his earlydays growing up in Newark, New Jersey and talks about his familyand friends. Then later on in the book, he talks about how he started playing basketball, beingbigger than most kids his age. He holds nothing back, always speaking what's on his mind. Towards the end of the book, he describes how the 2000 L.A. LAKERS got it all together and beat the Indiana Pacers in the finals. If you're a fan of Shaq or the Lakers, this book is for you.

Shaq Talks Back
I have to admit I didn't have very high expectations for Shaq's new book, however after starting the book I couldn't put it down. I read the entire book in one day. Shaq provides a no holds bar account of his life and his quest for a NBA championship. The voice of the book is definetly that of "The Big Aristotle." The book was informative and entertaining. Shaq has great sense of humor and he has no problem speaking his mind.

I suggest anyone interested in a behind scenes look at life in the NBA look no further than Shaq's latest book.