1. Ray Allen on Shaq: “Just watching him and being around him, he’s still got a lot of passion for the game of basketball. The one thing I learned early is to get out of his way. He’s moving around well. He’s still getting up and blocking shots. I expect big things out of him. I think we’re going to ask him to do a lot for us.” All I ask is for a little effort — just a little — defending pick-and-rolls.
2. Ray on the team’s mentality going into training camp: “We kind of know what we’re made of as a team and as individuals. Now, when we talk about urgency, right now for us it’s preparation, commitment to the process.”That urgency will take shape as we get deeper into the season,” Allen said. “Right now, it’s a building process. Nothing’s guaranteed. We can’t come into this thinking that it’s going to make itself, it’s going to shape itself.”
3. Rajon Rondo, you know how I know you’re gay? Shaq kissed you on the cheek and you feigned breathlessness.
4. If Doc Rivers had left, said Paul Pierce, “we probably would have seen rebuilding here.” Thank you, lord, for blessing us with Doc’s return. Rebuilding is the mother of suck.
5. Semih Erden: “It was my dream to play with Shaq one day.”
6. Shaq interviewed with WEEI, saying he would have played for the Celtics for free if he had to. While discussing his season with the Cavs, Shaq revealed “we just faced a team that everybody counted out all year. You can never count out Mr. Garnett or The Truth, because those two guys, when they get mad, they’re unstoppable.”
7. One of these days I’m going to stop linking to Paul Pierce’s uninteresting blog. The only reason I do now is that Pierce was cut from his high school’s varsity team during his sophomore year. You know what that means? I was a better high school player than Pierce. Or something like that.
8. Nate Robinson, you are a clown.
9. A breakdown of Ray Allen’s free throw form. According to CelticsBlog, he “came into camp weighing around 206 lbs. Said he ran more this offseason than he ever has and is in excellent shape.”
10. Shaq spent time with some locals in Salem. I’m awed by any athlete who’s so gracious in speaking to fans. I went to a dinner last night and Boston College football star Mark Herzlich was there, giving his time to anyone but himself. I swear he introduced himself to every person there, shook hands with everyone, signed footballs until his wrist hurt, and had absolutely zero time alone or with his girlfriend. Herzlich’s grace was beyond impressive, and he’s only a college player for BC! I’m sure Shaq’s fans are twenty times as relentless, every single day of the year. That Shaq still smiles and enjoys his fans is a testament to his character.
11. Surprise, surprise! Baron Davis is at least slightly out of shape.

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