Don’t Go Too Far Inside The NBA With Shaq

This is Robert Williams.

At least, we assume it is.  You see, the above LinkedIn profile leads you to a profile that “does not exist.”  This is likely a recent development in the professional career of “Rob” Williams.

According to WSBTV in Atlanta, at some point after May 19 of last year, one Robert Williams went to Atlanta Police to report that one Shaquille O’Neal had “tackle-punched him, knocking him down and falling on top of him.”  A cursory Urban Dictionary search turns up no results for “tackle-punch” (surely the internet will amend this), so we are left to believe that this is an attack move deployed only by someone of Shaq’s physical prowess.

So, let’s recap.  Rob Williams is your run of the mill Stage Manager and Camera Operator with TNT.  Shaquille O’Neal is your run of the mill 7-foot-1, 300-pound gregarious co-host.  Somewhere along the run of the mill, Rob got tackle-punched by Shaq.

Whether or not the tackle-punch happened isn’t in question.  It surely did, though there have been no formal charges filed against O’Neal.  The nature of the tackle-punch is the real key here.

O’Neal’s attorney, Dennis Roach, when speaking on the matter, said, “This was nothing more than horseplay. No one intended for anyone to get injured.”  But before we score this as a point in the “Shaq Horsing Around” column, it’s only fair we hear what Rob Williams’ camp has to say about this.

Williams’ attorney sent a letter to WSBTV reporter, Ryan Young, who first discovered the police report, saying, “We understand that the physical attack by Shaquille O’Neal upon Mr. Robert Williams is under criminal investigation.  Mr. Williams is presently recovering after surgery.  However, he does state emphatically, that the permanent injuries he received were not the result of participation in any form of ‘horseplay.'”

Rejection!  Shaq Horsing Around is going to have a tough time recovering from this one!

So, whether the Shaq attack came from “Goofy Shaq”:

Or from “Angry Shaq”:

The prospect of getting tackle-punched by a 7-foot-1, 300-plus-pound man is very, very real.  And that should scare everybody.