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O’Neal Issues an Apology

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Times Staff Writer

When the Lakers lined up for the national anthem here Monday night at Conseco Fieldhouse, Gary Payton was on the end, three feet from his nearest teammate. Again the only superstar standing, he hadn’t intentionally separated himself from the rest.

“No way,” he said, laughing. “I gotta hang around, just to see what happens next. This stuff is so crazy.”

Earlier in the day, between the shoot-around and the game, Shaquille O’Neal had been suspended by the NBA for Monday night’s game against the Indiana Pacers, the 15th game missed by O’Neal this season.

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Stu Jackson, the league’s senior vice president/basketball operations, suspended O’Neal “for publicly criticizing the game officials and using obscene language during a live ... interview.”

O’Neal had his say about the officiating crew Sunday afternoon in Toronto, and it cost him the game against the Pacers and $275,000, one-ninetieth of his $24.75-million annual salary.

Coach Phil Jackson called the league “vindictive” and General Manager Mitch Kupchak called the punishment “excessive.” O’Neal remained in the team hotel, barred from the arena. Earlier Monday, he had issued an apology for two obscenities uttered during an on-court postgame interview with KCAL, the second after being reminded the interview was live.

O’Neal’s statement, released by the Lakers, read in part, “My comments were made out of frustration in the heat of the moment, but I realize that my choice of words was inappropriate and ... I would like to apologize.”

Stu Jackson said he “truly did not” consider the apology when he made his decision.

“What I thought about is what is good for our game,” he added. “What I thought about is that our players behave appropriately with members of the media.”

After the Lakers had defeated the Toronto Raptors on Sunday, O’Neal stood on the end of the floor, the camera rolling, reporter John Ireland holding a microphone to his face. O’Neal felt he had been battered by the Raptors and that the officiating crew had let it happen.

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Said O’Neal: “David Stern wonders why the league is losing money? That’s why. People pay good money to come watch these athletes play, [the officials] try to take over the ... game.”

Said Ireland: “Shaq, we’re on live.”

Snapped O’Neal: “I don’t give a.... “

The league did, as it turned out. Stu Jackson said O’Neal would only have been fined had he simply criticized the referees and perhaps would have been spared the suspension had he stopped at the first vulgarity. He added that he knew of no history of a player being suspended for something he’d said.

“It’s rather severe,” Phil Jackson said. “It’s childish in some ways to react like this as a league. I think the league has more status than to try to take it out like this.

“The league is known for its vindictiveness. They’re vindictive in the league office. Yet, we didn’t anticipate they should prevent the team from having ... these fans see him. Money is money. If they fine him some money, I think that’s appropriate. I think he deserves that.... There’s no precedent in this. We’ve got guys running around throwing the bird to the fans, flipping off people, doing all kinds of things, which is probably a much more obnoxious gesture than a comment on TV.”

Kupchak said he’d spoken to O’Neal on Monday afternoon. Asked about O’Neal’s reaction to the punishment, Kupchak said, “It’s between me and him.

“I thought it was excessive because it penalizes our team, his teammates,” Kupchak said. “It penalizes the people who bought tickets tonight in Indiana and the TV audience. I thought there was another way to do it.”

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Neither Kupchak nor Phil Jackson suggested that O’Neal’s language was acceptable, only that the punishment was too severe.

The league said it was protecting its audience from further indiscretions, and that the message had to be strong.

It left O’Neal alone, but for a Laker security guard, on Monday night in Indianapolis.

“Somebody should stake out the Steak ‘n’ Shake next to the hotel,” Rick Fox said. “We don’t want him emotionally eating tonight.”

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