This was the Moment...

…When the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal, and Rajon Rondo’s jump shot would go completely to pot:

Shaquille O’Neal is blaming President Barack Obama for his role in Boston Celtics guard Rajon Rondo’s late-season shooting woes. And, well … what? Shaq’s blaming the president? What does he have to do with Rajon Rondo?

As is usually the case for sitting U.S. presidents, Barack Obama has been blamed for his fair share of his country’s misfortunes. Whether it’s deserved or not, the buck stops with him, and anything from the escalating cost of wars to a massive deficit to the increase in price of frozen tilapia will result in an impassioned rant from the voting public. Or the non-voting public, even.

But to blame the guy for Rajon Rondo shooting like, well, Rajon Rondo?

SLAM’s Tzvi Twersky came through with a heck of a scoop in locating a sample from O’Neal’s latest book. And while Shaq usually errs (read: benefits) on the side of self-promotion, he spins a good enough yarn to keep us reading, clicking, and buying whatever tale he wants to tell that day.

From the book:

In early March some of the guys went to the museum of Fine Arts for a fund-raiser and got to hang with President Barack Obama. Everyone was a little bit in awe. The President turns to Ray [Allen], points at Rondo, and says, “Hey, Ray, why don’t you teach this kid how to shoot?” Everyone starts laughing.

[…]

KG told me he saw the look on Rondo’s face and the kid was devastated, embarrassed. Dissed by the President, even though I’m sure Obama didn’t mean any harm. Rondo smiled and went along with all of it, but KG told me he could see it in his eyes. It bothered Rondo. It killed him.

The next day Rondo shot the ball horribly. He stopped taking shots after that. He’s so sensitive. I think it was a real jolt to hear the outside perception of a basketball fan who happens to be the President of the United States. It messed with his mind. I’m sure of it.

Wow, he really is the second coming of Nixon.

On the other hand, as a president who frequently pays lip service to the puritanism of the environmental movement, and its ability to bankrupt industries and hamstring economies, the less action in the NBA, the smaller the carbon footprint the sporting world as a whole has. If the nation as a whole “can’t drive our SUVs and eat as much as we want and keep our homes on 72 degrees at all times … and then just expect that other countries are going to say OK,” then that means the NBA as a whole needs to start downsizing as well.