Oracle Arena.
Before the game, O'Neal, who thought the media storm had subsided, wanted to use a gesture of goodwill to dissolve the misunderstanding sparked by the media.
In O'Neal's view, as long as he extended an olive branch, considering he didn't have any deep animosity towards the other party, he was sure to earn their forgiveness.
Then, he just needed to praise the opponent a bit, and this farce sparked by the media would turn into a happy tale of a veteran supporting a newcomer.
Throughout his career, even after retirement...
Turning enemies into friends is precisely what O'Neal excels at.
Of course, except for those he must suppress.
For instance, after achieving a three-peat with Kobe, O'Neal immediately expressed through the media his displeasure with Duncan for snatching away his regular-season MVP trophy, "See this trophy in my hand? In the NBA, the truly important trophy is this one."
