Miami
Philip Maymin
Basketball News Services
According to a recent study, using standard body-mass index (BMI) calculations, half of the NBA is overweight, and four players are obese. Among them, of course, is Shaquille O'Neal. Is the Diesel too fat?
"I've read that same formula," Shaq told the Associated Press, "but as an athlete, I'm classified as phenomenal. You can look it up."
If anybody wouldn't want to trade physiques with Shaq or any other player in the league, there is something wrong with them. Really what this study means is that there is something wrong with the BMI.
Supposedly one-third of Americans are obese and two-thirds are overweight. If they are in as "bad" shape as the average NBA player, then there is no crisis at all. We should all go hang out in fast food joints. Eat all you want! The BMI means nothing.
NEXT GAME
The Heat (46-16, first in the Southeast) continue their four game home stand by hosting the Minnesota Timberwolves (30-30, third in the Northwest) on Thursday, March 10th. The game starts at 7:00pm Eastern and will be broadcast on TNT.
TEAM NOTES
The only way to secure great seats for this year’s playoffsis to purchase season tickets for next year.
INJURY UPDATE
Wang Zhi Zhi(respiratory infection),Qyntel Woods(knee), andDorell Wright(knee) are all on the injured list.Steve Smithwas activated but did not play last night.
Israel Gutierrez ofThe Miami Heraldwrites: It used to be that a long Keyon Dooling jump shot was more of an emergency option as the shot clock was near expiring. Now, Dooling is taking kick-out passes and draining jumpers with regularity. Monday against the 76ers, Dooling was 4 of 5 from the field for 11 points, with his jumper responsible for three of those baskets, including a three-pointer. Apparently, Dwyane Wade isn't the only Heat player spending extra time working on his outside shot. And Dooling's improved jumper is just one aspect of his steadily improving game that has become vital for the surging Heat.
Union-Tribune Wire Services write inSignOnSanDiego.com:If you apply a widely used criterion to the published heights and weights of NBA players, nearly half qualify as overweight. Only four players assessed using the body-mass index (BMI) by The Associated Press made it all the way to the "obese" range, most notably – you guessed it – Miami Heat star Shaquille O'Neal... "I've read that same formula, but as an athlete, I'm classified as phenomenal," O'Neal told The AP. "You can look it up."
Dana Owen ofThe Quinnipiac Chroniclewrites: One Quinnipiac student, in only five years, already knows what it is like to be a play-by-play sports commentator, work for an elite news association and meet Alonzo Mourning and Shaquille O'Neil.Meeting Shaq was somewhat accidental. Twenty-year-old sophomore, Max Winitz, a broadcast journalism major, used his common sense and good luck to allow the NBC-owned station WTVJ in Miami to be the first to capture the basketball star on tape during his first-ever trip to South Florida last year.