Shaq speaks out: No Mexican League for him, Howard needs 3 titles to get respect

Shaquille O'Neal says Dwight Howard needs three NBA titles to get people's respect. (Brett Deering/Getty Images)

Future NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal took the opportunity out of his busy schedule (owning 55 Five Guys restaurants and 40 24-hour fitness centers) to speak to the New Orleans Times-Picayune to discuss rumors about the Mexican League and his thoughts on Dwight Howard joining the Los Angeles Lakers.

The TNT analyst said that rumors about him joining the Mexican League are total fabrication, when the media could have just called him to confirm the news.

"No truth to that. It's kind of unfortunate that so-called experts have to get their sources from the Internet," O'Neal said. "It's backwards. Especially like when people from ESPN know me and they can call me and ask me, but somebody else said it so they want to be the first to report it even though it's not true. However, we could talk, but nobody has contacted me."

When asked if he had a reaction to Howard's trade to the Lakers, O'Neal said,

"I don't have a reaction. You have to care to have a reaction. I've got businesses to run. I always tell people that in order to step in my shoes you have big shoes to fill. For him, he's going to have to at least win three to get people's respect."