Shaq’s mother says he might return
Even though she hasn’t exactly spoken to Shaq about his future, his mother Lucille believes he might return next season. (The Times Picayune)
“He went there to help them win a championship, and they didn’t do that this year,’’ Lucille said. “It bothered him so much that he could not play. He felt like he let the Boston team down and the community down, so I could believe he’s going back to Boston. He’s not in a place to be traded or anything like that.’’
Lucille added O’Neal hasn’t indicated to her what he plans to do.
“I don’t know because Shaquille has got such passion for the game,’’ Lucille said. “(Retirement) we’ve always told him that’s up to him. Whatever decision he makes, we’re still going to be behind him 100 percent.’’
It’s somewhat admirable to watch Shaq hobble around on more or less one leg, doing whatever he can to make it back to the court even though his body refuses to cooperate. It is. But it’s also sad. I don’t want to say it takes away from his legacy, because any amount of late-career injuries can’t change the fact that an in-his-prime Shaq could get 35 and 15 in his sleep. But there’s a generation of children who only know Shaq as “that huge dude whose body parts come apart more often than Mr. Potato Head’s.”
If he’s got anything left, anything at all, the Celtics could use him. He’s cheap, his contract will expire in 2012 (when the Celtics presumably want to rebuild/reload), and, most importantly, he’s still a man-mountain. If Jermaine O’Neal retires (he’s considering it), the Celtics will have exactly zero centers entering the free agency period. But even though it’s admirable, spending half the season in rehab just to play 20 postseason minutes isn’t how a superstar should end his career. Smart money says Shaq will retire, regardless of what his mother says.
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Celtics Blog | Jay King | May 19, 2011
I think that Shaq should retire. If he does come back, and comes back to the Celtics, btw, what’s to keep Danny from continuing to play mind games about how great he will be for us, and how we don’t really have a problem (which Danny created) at center?
Fans defending Danny are STILL talking about how great we would have been if Shaq had been healthy. That’s right. And just imagine how great we’d be if Larry could come back, and Bill Russell. I don’t doubt that half or more of the Boston media would trumpet Danny’s hype, and half or more of the fandom would drink it in as their peonic obligation.
Speaking of Russell, the idea of yet another horrible sports statue littering Boston is truly nauseating. If you ask me, Bill was the greatest basketball player of all time, but a statue is a whole other thing. I can’t remember the last time I saw a great contemporary statue of anyone, and sports statues are usually the worst of all. Let’s pass on this one.
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Danny defender here…I believe Shaq will return if and only if he gets the proper rehab and then tests his leg with vigorous play in training camp. If the injury does not respond to treatment then and only then will Shaq retire. This man has way too much pride to bow out in this fashion unless forced to, and I know all the naysayers believe he is done, but I believe he will do everything in his power to come back as he truly bought into bringing multiple titles to the Celtics. He’ll contact the best doctors and maybe even have a minor surgery or do whatever it takes. And until the Big Shamrock says he’s done then don’t believe anything anyone else says.
paul…go see the Willie Mays and Willie McCovey’s statues at AT&T Park and you’ll know that quality statues can be done and give proper honor to team’s best stars. Same goes for Jordan’s statue. Russell clearly deserves one as the symbol of Celtic pride, hard work, and being a quality human being. Go Cs…
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k
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James, I think the MAys statue is horrible. The problem is that they base these statues off photographs. They don’t get it that a statue is not a photograph. The sculptors who do these statues are terrible. They don’t get it. It’s a lost art.
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Re. Shaq’s return: James, if you, a delusional authority worshipping pollyanna, wish to call me a naysayer, I’m ok with that.
In my opinion, those who choose to continue to defend Danny are enablers. They ought to be ashamed, but they have unable to be ashamed, because they are themselves addicted to worship of authority. You say it yourself, James. You BELIEVE the doctors. You will only make up your mind when Shaq tells you what to think. You will wait until you are told.
This is the brave new world we live in. Our masters have trained us to be unable to think for ourselves, and we thank them for it, and we beg for the next cup of hype.
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I see that Jay is editing the comments again. Ok. Really, I’ve had enough of the stifling enviroment here and the reek of abasement to authority. And just think: Jay is the closest thing to a real writer on the Celtics that there is in paper or on the net. He’s as disconnected from the hype machine as it gets.
Ok slaves. You keep on bowing to your Masters. Fare well to you.
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paul…how many times can you contradict what you say in one post? Let’s get my comments accurate before making assumptions about what I am saying (i.e. no need to read between the lines) or making inaccurate statements about my positions. I do believe I am pretty damn consistent in my post comments. I called you a naysayer because you have stated you hope/wish/think Shaq is done. I do not believe all authority as I posted yesterday but I guess you missed that or really don’t read my comments carefully enough before commenting. My ‘Danny defender here’ was a tongue-in-cheek response to you although yes I support DA because he did assemble a group and brought a title to the Cs. The comment about my believing the doctors conflicts with my previous consistent comments about all doctor appraisals and comments including when Shaq will be available or done because that will only happen when Shaq says so and announces his retirement. Do you believe the doctors? And I certainly do not believe or take as ‘gospel’ anything Doc or DA say as they use subterfuge all the time to mislead. That’s what ALL GMs and coaches do at times. So again, as I previously stated, take any of these ‘authoritarian’ type of comments with a grain of salt. I am not ashamed of my comments and stand by them as they are only opinions and have no more value, or any less, than your comments or anyone else’s. And since I am not a seer I will wait until Shaq decides what to do as that will then be reality and not unsubstantiated conjecture. Doesn’t that make more sense than speculating, or reading between the lines, all the time on every issue or action taken or spoken about the Celtics? Go CS…
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PAUL once again STFU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! stop talking about the same thing every fuckin day on every fuckin post!!!!!!!!! Your anoyying!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Shaq as our 3rd string center (kind of open in case of emergency only) at the minimum I’d take all day, but what we need is a reliable healthy on the better side of thirty starting center.
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hillcrest—-agreed. Why not keep him around since he’s cheap (and under contract for next season?)
And is it really Shaq’s age, or is it more about Shaq’s weight (or both more likely)
If Shaq truly got in shape and rehabbed, he could be good for 10-20 mins per game. How bad does he want it? Is he willing to work for it?
An achilles tendon is a nasty injury, especially to a big man, but it’s not like he had back surgery or knee surgery.
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Too fat…. Game over
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