O'Neal was angry.
O'Neal was the biggest, most dominant center in the NBA. He usually seemed like a happy-go-lucky guy, very magnanimous.
But in reality, he was as petty as they come.
Otherwise, how could things with Kobe have gotten so bad?
Kobe had his faults, and O'Neal had his flaws.
After getting his shot blocked, he immediately ran over to Billups. He "reminded" him, "Pass the ball properly."
The tone of this "reminder" was anything but friendly, filled with a commanding air.
Billups wasn't about to take that crap. He turned and walked straight to the bench. 'Fuck this, I'm out. Let someone else deal with it.'
Billups was never comfortable with the All-Star atmosphere anyway; he was just here for the ride. He was confident in his passing skills. O'Neal getting blocked and then taking it out on him? He'd picked the wrong guy. 'I'm no pushover.'
Billups had just quit.
