Shaq's focus is winning Wizards series, not losing MVP race

MIAMI -- Watching Washington's series-clinching win over Chicago on television with his Miami teammates, Shaquille O'Neal heard Wizards fans chanting, "We want Shaq! We want Shaq!"

Bad move.

"Be careful what you ask for," O'Neal said Saturday. "We'll be ready."

So, while Phoenix guard Steve Nash formally is named the NBA's Most Valuable Player on Sunday, O'Neal insists all his attention will be on the Wizards, whom the Miami Heat host in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

O'Neal said he didn't consider losing the MVP race to be a snub. Others strongly disagreed; Heat coach Stan Van Gundy called the result "beyond ludicrous."

"If you went and asked any general manager in the league for the past dozen years who's the one player they'd want to have, they'd say Shaquille O'Neal," Van Gundy said. "And he's been selected by you brilliant people in the media, selected as the most valuable player in the league one time. Once? Only once?"

Shaquille O'Neal looks terribly upset Saturday over not being MVP. (AP)

"He didn't win MVP? Uh-oh," Washington guard Gilbert Arenas said. "Oh, wow. No comment."

O'Neal feigned disappointed tears when asked about the MVP topic Saturday, and congratulated Nash -- the first Canadian to win the award -- on his season.

"He's a great guy," O'Neal said. "It's been a good year for Steve. He had twins, just got married, is playing great basketball. Congratulations, Steve. Congratulations to the Canadian people. It's a great honor. ... But we're focusing on the big prize at the end. I think that's going to be more important."

The Wizards are the next obstacle for the Heat, who had the week off waiting for the Chicago-Washington series to conclude. Miami won its four regular-season games against Washington by an average of 12.5 points, but the teams haven't played since Dec. 15.

Washington -- which is in the second round of the NBA playoffs for the first time since 1982 -- feels it has improved vastly since then.

"I think we're a better team now. I know we're a better team," Wizards coach Eddie Jordan said. "I'm sure they are, too, so let's toss it up and see where it goes."