O’Neal May Miss 8 Weeks Because of Broken Thumb

After years of being chopped by opponents in a tactic that came to be known as Haq-a-Shaq, Shaquille O’Neal suffered a blow that broke his right thumb and will knock him out until mid-December.

The Orlando Magic center, fouled by Miami’s Matt Geiger in an exhibition Tuesday night, is scheduled to undergo a “minor surgical procedure” in Orlando today and is expected to be sidelined six to eight weeks. The NBA season starts Nov. 3.

O’Neal, 23, who has missed five games in his three-year career, reacted angrily after the game, vowing to show the next opponent who hacked him “some of my Shaq-Fu stuff.” He was calmer Wednesday, even appearing at a promotion for a candy bar at Disney World as scheduled.

“I’m programmed to handle any situation so I have to take the good with the good and the bad with the bad,” O’Neal said.

“It’s not a matter of getting even. I’ll just have to protect myself. I think some coaches are telling their players to just come in and chop him up.”

The incident raises questions about NBA rules, which have been toughened in an attempt to take the thuggery out of the game but still allow intentional fouling. It also raises questions about the use of replacement officials, now working in two-man crews while the regular referees are locked out.

O’Neal said his thumb was bent back flat by Geiger on a move to the basket in the second quarter. Replays show Geiger hacking O’Neal across both forearms to stop the layup but the Miami center wasn’t called for a foul. Instead, O’Neal was called for traveling.

Earlier in the game, Miami’s Stacey King hacked O’Neal and was called for a flagrant foul.

“Our game plan was to foul him if he got the ball in too close and he was in too close,” Geiger said. “It was a just a normal foul. There was nothing personal about it. . . .

“People are taking this out of context. I didn’t try to hurt him.”

The new Heat coach, Pat Riley, said it was “unfortunate” but noted the game obliges players to “contest everything.” Riley, a staunch advocate of physical defense, has been accused by one coach--Chicago’s Phil Jackson--of endangering opponents.

“He’s a former player,” Jackson once said of Riley, “and the style of play that they [Riley’s New York Knicks] carry is fraught with danger. This is a game in which former players should have respect for the careers of individuals. I can see other people, from outside the league, bringing that type of style into the game. He should know better.”

Magic officials wouldn’t comment, but Coach Brian Hill said John Gabriel, vice president of operations, had sent videotape to the NBA office in New York.

O’Neal shot a league-high 854 free throws last season, and Magic officials contend he was hit harder than anyone in the league.

“I don’t think there’s any question that he takes harder fouls and more severe fouls than any player in the league,” Hill said. “If it means calling each and every one of them a flagrant foul, then so be it.”

O’Neal averaged 29 points, 11 rebounds and 2.4 blocks last season as the Magic won the Eastern Conference championship and reached the NBA finals. Veteran Jon Koncak, signed as a free agent, will replace O’Neal.