Whopper stoppers: the Kings' physical play and flopping defense are taking a toll on Shaquille O'Neal, who is feeling the weight of his ultimate blessing.

Perhaps the lasting legacy of Shaquille O'Neal will be so simple that we will forget all the highfalutin' bravado, lowbrow mewling and general nonsense that seems to come before, during and after every Lakers game. Maybe, when the purple and gold's oversized No. 34 jersey is busy testing the architectural stamina of some I-beam in the Staples Center rafters, maybe then we will forget who was bumping whom, who was resorting to milksop defensive tactics and who was making outrageous foul calls. When the epitaph of O'Neal's career is written, perhaps there will be only his statistics, his accomplishments and five words: "He was big. Real big."

Let's face it, that's ...