Shaq Unsure of Playing in Season Opener

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Bothered by a strained left hamstring, Shaquille O’Neal said he would decide before tipoff whether he would play in the Miami Heat’s opener Wednesday night against the New Jersey Nets.

“It’s feeling pretty good. I practiced OK this morning,” O’Neal said after the team’s morning shootaround. “It’s kind of sore, but it’s feeling OK. I’m going to stretch, eat some pudding and some ice cream, and then I’ll think about it.”

O’Neal sat out practice for four consecutive days after aggravating the injury, which has hampered him throughout the preseason.

He estimated himself to be about 70-75 percent of full strength.

“I can’t run as fast, I can’t move laterally as fast,” O’Neal said. “It’s very frustrating. I worked very hard, put in a lot of work, but injuries like this won’t last forever.”

O’Neal said he did not watch Tuesday night’s game between the Denver Nuggets and his old team, the Los Angeles Lakers, nor did he monitor results from the U.S. presidential election.

“I didn’t watch anything,” O’Neal said. “TV corrupts the mind. I never watch TV.”