NBA suspends shaq

NBA SUSPENDS SHAQ: Shaquille O'Neal was suspended without pay by the NBA on Monday, one day after using obscene language and publicly criticizing the officials during a television interview.

The suspension was announced just hours after O'Neal issued a statement apologizing for the comments he made following the Lakers' 84-83 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday.

O'Neal will serve the suspension Monday night, sitting out a game against the Eastern Conference-leading Indiana Pacers. It will cost him nearly $295,000.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson called the punishment "rather severe and childish in some ways."

Jackson said he thought a fine would have been appropriate and that the fans would be penalized by not being able to see O'Neal in the Lakers' lone trip to Indianapolis.

"The league is known for its vindictiveness," Jackson said. "But we didn't anticipate a suspension."

O'Neal scored a season-high 36 points against the Raptors in his third game back after missing 12 because of a strained right calf, but was angered by the officiating.

He made that clear in his postgame interview on KCAL-TV — conducted almost immediately after the game.

"My message to (commissioner) David Stern is get some people in there that understand the game and don't try to take over the . . . game because people pay good money to see good athletes play," O'Neal said.

When reminded he was on live TV, O'Neal responded with another profanity before the interview continued.

"My comments were made out of frustration in the heat of the moment," O'Neal said in the statement released Monday by the Lakers. "But I realize that my choice of words was inappropriate and again, I would like to apologize."

The game in Indiana was the second of a seven-game road trip for the Lakers, who played without injured stars Kobe Bryant and Karl Malone, as well as O'Neal.

Jackson said "there was no precedence" for the suspension, but that the team will accept it and move on.

JACKSON'S EX-MANAGER GUILTY: A former business manager who embezzled more than $1.5 million from former Utah Jazz guard Mark Jackson pleaded guilty Monday to one count of wire fraud.

Bruce J. Breger entered the plea in U.S. District Court. The 41-year-old Breger was charged with two counts of wire fraud in connection with the theft from Jackson, a 16-year NBA veteran now playing for the Houston Rockets.