The Difference Between Steve Nash and Shaq

The parting of ways between teammates is rarely an easy thing. Usually it happens for a good reason. The guy who left may have been past his prime or overpaid. There might have been a trade proposal that couldn't be ignored. Or in many cases, the team's chemistry was suffering because of some individuals, so they had to be let go.

In the Shaq deal, all 3 elements were in place. O'Neal's welcome was beginning to wear thin, though reports were that things weren't necessarily hostile. His bloated salary and declining statistics demanded that he be sent elsewhere, and when the possibility of acquiring Shawn Marion came around, Riley had to pull the trigger.

Similarly, Marion had his issues in Phoenix. The team is over the cap and financially strapped. There was no way he was staying past next season, both because of his large salary demands and because of chemistry issues in the locker room. Marion himself wanted out. So the deal went through and both players had new beginnings with new teams.

Those left behind were under a barrage of questions from the media. For the most part, things were kept low-key and courteous. The only exceptions were subtle jabs coming from O'Neal, directed at former teammates. Nothing he said was necessarily a lie, nor was it outright criticism. However, it reeked of unprofessionalism.

Perhaps I should let go of it, but I don't approve of the way he handled the transition. His past remarks when switching teams are consistent with his behavior the past two weeks, so this wasn't a unique situation where Shaq was hurt and felt like lashing out.

In comparison, look at Steve Nash's remarks about Shawn Marion in today's Miami Herald. When asked about the rocky relationship with his former teammate, Nash was adamant about keeping the past in-house. He had nothing but praise for his former teammate, and spoke of how he expected positive contributions from Marion for the Heat.

"'It's all behind us now, and it's unfair to talk about things that are private,' Nash said."

That's how Shaq should have handled his departure. Not by alluding to the struggles of former teammates when complimenting new ones.