By Cheval John
Shaquille O'Neal doesn't shy away from controversy.
O'Neal proved this point last weekend when he talked about former Los Angeles Lakers' Dwight Howard.
When asked about Howard's moved to the Houston Rockets, his reply was: "We all been in LA, and not a whole lot of people can handle being under the bright lights. ... I think it was a safe move for him to go to a little town like Houston. That's right, little town. I said it."
I can understand if he wants to take a shot at Howard, but for him to call Houston a "little town" is not only disrespectful, but in the words of Stephen A. Smith, "blasphemous."
Even though Houston doesn't have the big flare or big splash like Los Angeles or New York, Houston can compete with these big name cities in it's own way and is a great place for Howard to shine.
Here are some statistics that would shock anyone who thinks of Houston as a "little town":
Houston is a top ten television market according to Nielsen's Local Television Market Universe
The Texas Medical Center, the world largest concentration of medical center and research institutions, is in Houston.
Twenty-four Fortune 500 companies has headquarters in Houston, second only to New York City.
96 countries has consulates offices in Houston, the third most in the U.S.
Houston has surpassed the U.S. projection for 2050 when the Hispanic population became a majority-minority group.
Houston overtook Los Angeles and New York as the most diverse city in the United States
Now if you still think that Houston is a "small town," here is one more piece of evidence that should make a person to re-think their position.
Houston became Air China's fifth North American destination when the inaugural non-stop flight from Beijing landed at George Bush Intercontinental Airport at 3:40 p.m. yesterday.
The airline of the People's Republic of China became the 20th airline to offer service to one of the gateways to the Southwestern United States.
Ms. Yingxiang Wang, Co-Chairwoman of Air China Limited, said in a statement: "As the only airline that provides direct connection between Houston and the south central region of the United States and China via Beijing, we are honored to be the cultural, social and economic bridge between our two great destinations. This new service demonstrates Air China's commitment to expanded connectivity for the mutual benefits of our countries and people."
This is why Houston is no "little town" as Shaq stated, but a "global city" that is located in the most prosperous state in the U.S., Texas.
So the next time that Shaq wants to take a shot at somebody, he should choose his words wisely before saying something that would make him look like an idiot in the process.
Dwight Howard can certainly agree with that.
If you agree or disagree with this article, you can leave a comment below.
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Houston Is No “Little Town”
By Cheval John
Shaquille O'Neal doesn't shy away from controversy.
O'Neal proved this point last weekend when he talked about former Los Angeles Lakers' Dwight Howard.
When asked about Howard's moved to the Houston Rockets, his reply was: "We all been in LA, and not a whole lot of people can handle being under the bright lights. ... I think it was a safe move for him to go to a little town like Houston. That's right, little town. I said it."
I can understand if he wants to take a shot at Howard, but for him to call Houston a "little town" is not only disrespectful, but in the words of Stephen A. Smith, "blasphemous."
Even though Houston doesn't have the big flare or big splash like Los Angeles or New York, Houston can compete with these big name cities in it's own way and is a great place for Howard to shine.
Here are some statistics that would shock anyone who thinks of Houston as a "little town":
Houston is a top ten television market according to Nielsen's Local Television Market Universe
The Texas Medical Center, the world largest concentration of medical center and research institutions, is in Houston.
Twenty-four Fortune 500 companies has headquarters in Houston, second only to New York City.
96 countries has consulates offices in Houston, the third most in the U.S.
Houston has surpassed the U.S. projection for 2050 when the Hispanic population became a majority-minority group.
Houston overtook Los Angeles and New York as the most diverse city in the United States
Now if you still think that Houston is a "small town," here is one more piece of evidence that should make a person to re-think their position.
Houston became Air China's fifth North American destination when the inaugural non-stop flight from Beijing landed at George Bush Intercontinental Airport at 3:40 p.m. yesterday.
The airline of the People's Republic of China became the 20th airline to offer service to one of the gateways to the Southwestern United States.
Ms. Yingxiang Wang, Co-Chairwoman of Air China Limited, said in a statement: "As the only airline that provides direct connection between Houston and the south central region of the United States and China via Beijing, we are honored to be the cultural, social and economic bridge between our two great destinations. This new service demonstrates Air China's commitment to expanded connectivity for the mutual benefits of our countries and people."
This is why Houston is no "little town" as Shaq stated, but a "global city" that is located in the most prosperous state in the U.S., Texas.
So the next time that Shaq wants to take a shot at somebody, he should choose his words wisely before saying something that would make him look like an idiot in the process.
Dwight Howard can certainly agree with that.
If you agree or disagree with this article, you can leave a comment below.
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Tags: Air China, Dwight Howard, Fortune 500 Companies, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, North America, Shaquille O'Neal, Texas
About Cheval John
Cheval John is the Founder and CEO of Vallano Media, LLC, a marketing agency which helps small to mid-sized businesses use social media correctly to build a loyal following and in the process become more profitable. Cheval is also the host of "What's The Word?" a podcast about finding out what inspires people to choose their respective careers and how social media impacted their lives and business. He is the author of two books including the Amazon Best-Seller, "8 Lessons Every Podcaster Needs To Learn." He has spoken at Social Media Week Lima in Ohio and at Social Media Day Houston 2017 about topics around live streaming and podcasting. Cheval has been featured in media outlets including Ebony Magazine, Social Media Today and Forbes. He was named a Houston Top 25 Social Media Power Influencer (2016 and 2017) and a Twitter Top 50 Influencer by Onalytica in 2018.