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Let's say that Los Angeles Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal really has shed the 15 pounds that he and his trainer have been bragging about over the weekend. And that he really has gone from a body fat count of 20 percent last season to 15 percent now and dropping.

And for the sake of argument, let's pretend that he is the one player in professional team sports that is worth $121 million over three seasons that, come October, he is eligible to receive from the Lakers in a contract extension.

That still doesn't mean that he's going to get the ball 40 times a game like he's expecting.

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