Suns know off-court fouls can end up on YouTube

Shaquille O'Neal. Steve Nash. Amaré Stoudemire. Raja Bell. Grant Hill.

The Suns have some of the most famous and recognizable basketball players in the world.

All have their own fan clubs and their own charities that give back to their communities. All have their own Web sites where they can dispense information and control their Internet image.

But elsewhere on the World Wide Web, they are stars of a different kind - with no control over where or when the cameras are rolling.

The age of YouTube.com and similar Web sites has changed the game off the court. More than ever, people with a modicum of fame know to be on guard when they are in public - even in places that used to be private.

During the summer, Nash was ambushed by a fan walking through Los Angeles International Airport for an impromptu cell phone interview.

O'Neal's now-infamous Kobe Bryant rap (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLJ65x0mbv0) was one of the most replayed snippets on the Internet.

But everybody gets their turn in the spotlight.

Last summer, Bryant was recorded chastising Lakers teammate Andrew Bynum and blasting ownership for not trading Bynum for Jason Kidd.

O'Neal took a hit this summer, as did Dallas star Josh Howard, who was shown disrespecting the national anthem at an Allen Iverson charity event.

O'Neal explained the nightclub clip as "a comedy skit," a freestyle rap that doesn't need further explanation. And whoever filmed it?

"It's someone trying to bring the past back to life, someone who knew I had a problem with (Kobe)," he said. "But there is nothing there. That was a long, long time ago."

Still, O'Neal knows people will make their own judgments.

"What you see is what you see," he said. "People have cameras and phones that can put things on the Internet in five seconds. What can you do about that?"

O'Neal, who has marketed himself as much as any modern athlete and has used the Internet to his advantage repeatedly, has no plans to live his life any differently.

"I will never change," he said. "It's not that I don't care about it ... but what can you really do? In my line of work ... you definitely can't commit a felony or a crazy misdemeanor. As long as I follow those rules, I'll be fine most of the time.

"I don't try to live my life perfectly. What you see is what you get. Anything can be interpreted, spliced up and edited. You can't control it, and once they put out what they want to put out, it's too late."

Others admit the video age has forced a lifestyle change. Bell said he goes out less and always tries to be aware of who he's talking to or who is lurking in the background.

"You can't afford to be out with friends doing something that's silly or goofy or harmless," he said. "The next day, it winds up on the Net and suddenly the whole world is debating whether or not you're a good guy."

It's a reality that has forced Bell to cut back his interaction with fans when it's not in a controlled situation.

"It can be something that just gets past you," he said. "Who am I taking a picture with? Who is in the background? What are they wearing? You try your best to cover your bases, but it can be a dangerous thing."

Nash had one of the big Internet sensations of the summer - a movie trailer spoof of "Step Brothers" featuring himself and close friend Baron Davis rolling around Santa Monica, Calif., in goofy costumes.

He is now directing his own shoe commercials and will make his directorial film debut with a movie about the life of Canadian hero Terry Fox.

But as a man who covets his privacy, Nash said it forces him to be more standoffish in situations he once embraced.

"It's a new situation now and it's not easy," he said. "You always want to be yourself, but every move you make can be documented. Even if you're not doing anything illegal or even questionable ... you never know what's going on or what (someone's) motivation is or if they are just engaging you to get on film.

"You've seen a lot of people in our league take some hits.

"Everyone is a filmmaker. Anyone can make a box office smash off of one stupid thing you say. It's a different game."