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🏀 The Time Shaq Got Angry & Spent $1M
Klay Thompson was ejected for the first time in his career, Magic Johnson calls out Russell Westbrook, and the time Shaq spent over $1M because he was pissed off.
Finish the week off strong!
KLAY THOMPSON
Klay Thompson Ejected for the First Time in his Career
Klay Thompson has logged 759 regular season and playoff games, and for the first time in his storied career, he got ejected. Thompson got into it with Devin Booker in the third quarter of Warriors-Suns which led to Thompson picking up consecutive technical fouls and earning an ejection.
Booker and Thompson have a bit of history, which according to Steve Kerr, dates back four or five years ago when Booker was first coming up, although it obviously didn't escalate to the same extent.
Booker put the clamps on Klay, holding the sharpshooter to just 0-4 shooting and 0-3 from three. So with his shot not falling, Klay resorted to trash-talking Booker, repeating “four rings'' to him over and over. This led to the two men bumping chests and receiving double-techs. Right after Thompson got one technical he picked up his second one after pushing Mikal Bridges away after Bridges walked into him and receiving two technicals results in an automatic ejection.
While Thompson did not address the media after the game, Booker appeared to take the high road and heaped praise on Thompson saying: "I love Klay Thompson. I have for a really long time. But it's not going to excuse from us being competitive and talking to each other. I've always admired his game, [and] how he plays on both ends of the ball. And obviously, the rings speak for themselves."
MAGIC JOHNSON
Magic Johnson Calls Out Russell Westbrook
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but Magic Johnson has some thoughts about the Lakers. Magic is one of, if not the greatest Laker of all time, and because of this, he’s never been particularly shy about sharing his opinions about the team.
Magic appeared on Shannon Sharpe’s podcast the day after the Lakers’ backbreaking loss to the Trail Blazers to ask Westbrook to “take accountability for his poor play to start the season." In case you missed it, Westbrook scored 10 points on 4-of-15 shooting Sunday night and made a particularly puzzling decision as time was running out which was a major factor in the Lakers blowing their one-point lead.
Magic compared Westbrook’s situation to his own poor showing in the 1984 NBA Finals and how taking accountability and improving his performance was the key to winning Lakers fans over. Of course, Magic was only 25 and just entering his prime, while Westbrook is at a very different stage in his career, so it isn’t quite a perfect comparison.
But Johnson may be onto something. Most Lakers fans would tell you their frustration with Westbrook goes beyond his play on the court; it's his failure to adapt to this new stage of his career and do what's best for the team that is drawing the most outrage.
SHAQUILLE O'NEAL
Shaq Once Spent Over $1M Because he was 'Pissed Off'
Shaquille O’Neal is one of the most successful NBA players turned investors, but even he isn’t above a little reckless spending every now and then. But unlike the rest of us, when Shaq goes wild, he does so to the tune of 1.3 million dollars!
While appearing on the podcast Drink Champs, Shaq told a legendary story about how he ended up with three Rolls-Royces, even though he doesn’t drive. Shaq was at a car dealership, speaking to a luxury car salesman who made the mistake, or perhaps the brilliant move, of pissing Shaq off.
The salesman told Shaq, presumably not knowing who he was: “Yo man, you asked about all these cars, can you afford them?” This outraged the big man, who replied: “What the f*** you just said to me?” Then, because he could, he bought three cars on the spot.
THE RUMOR MILL
NBA Trade Rumors: Los Angeles Lakers declines blockbuster offer from Jazz
3 Jae Crowder trade ideas for Eastern Conference contenders
THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
October 27, 1984: 12-time All-Star Hakeem Olajuwon made his NBA debut for the Houston Rockets