Staples Center | Indiana Pacers
Shaquille O'neal In Los Angeles
by
Mark Seal"Venice Beach. I like to roll by Venice Beach. It's one of the
wildest scenes in L.A. - a boardwalk where thousands of people hang
out on weekends. There are sidewalk vendors, bars, restaurants, and
the famous Muscle Beach, where everyone works out in the sun. But
the best thing about Venice is the street performers: jugglers,
comedians, fire-eaters, and a guy who juggles three chain saws at
once."
LUNCH
"Houston's. The one in L.A. is like any other Houston's across the
country. I love their brownie with ice cream. It's called the Five
Nut Brownie because it has five different nuts, and it also has ice
cream and caramel on top. You can get it with or without ice cream.
I start out with that as an appetizer. Then, I'll go for some
barbecue ribs, which are called "knife and fork" ribs because
they're so tender. The meat falls off the bone. Or maybe the
slow-roasted prime rib of beef. They cook it until it's as tender
as the ribs. I go to Houston's at least twice a month. I like the
one over in the Century City Shopping Center, an indoor-outdoor
shopping center that has more than a hundred stores, restaurants,
and a multiplex movie theater."
ONE SPECIAL DAY
My favorite night in L.A. was during the streak to the finals in
2000. It was great bringing a championship back to L.A. They hadn't
won in 12 years. It was June 19, 2000. We had just beaten the
Indiana Pacers, and I won my first ring. When the game ended, we
were all on the floor of the Staples Center: all of my family, my
friends, my three-year-old daughter, even my mother. The confetti
was coming down, the crowd was going crazy, and I started to cry. I
really did, right there in front of everybody. In my book, I write
that my tears were a release. I felt like I was finally answering
all of the critics who said I didn't know how to win. Looking back
now, I see that night was also typical of L.A. Everybody always
wants to know what you're going to do next. After we won, everybody
was saying, 'Congratulations. Now, let's go get another one.'"
Related Topics:
Print this Article |
