Atlanta Falcons QB Kirk Cousins Wants To Take Opposite Approach Of Shaquille O'Neal With Miami Heat

Newly-acquired Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins says he wants to avoid the same fate as Shaquille O'Neal.

Cousins would like to win a Super Bowl this season with the Falcons before ending his career. He doesn't want a situation like O'Neal, who won a title in his second season with the Miami Heat but bounced around with the Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics before retiring.

Cousins made the claim while speaking with O'Neal on his The Big Podcast.

"I want this to be my final stop," Cousins said. "I don't wanna do the deal -- no offense, but I don't wanna go play for the Suns and Celtics at the end. I wanna finish with the Heat, if you will, and be done."

O'Neal played a key role in the Heat winning their first championship in 2006. He was acquired from the Los Angeles Lakers in the summer of 2004. After losing in the conference finals to the Detroit Pistons his first year, O'Neal teamed with Dwyane Wade to lead them to a championship the following year. They defeated the Dallas Mavericks in six games.

That would be a storybook ending for Cousins, minus the switching teams after.

"My boys are 6 and 5," Cousins said. "They won't remember that I played in Washington. They will barely remember I played in Minnesota. They're gonna remember I played for the Falcons. And I want those to be good memories. So I feel like this is the stretch I wanna finish strong. People remember how you finish more than you start."