Shaq: The Big Shamrock?

By: Stephen Patterson

It has been reported this morning that Shaquille O'Neal will join the Boston Celtics for this upcoming season. He will sign for the veteran minimum, which is close to $1.4 million per season. It's not currently known whether he will join the Celtics for one year or two.

The Celtics have been one of the biggest names mentioned when it comes to signing Shaq, and apparently beat out the offer that the Atlanta Hawks made. He said if he couldn't sign with a contender he would likely retire instead. He also said he chose Boston over Atlanta because they obviously have a better chance at a championship, although he may have received more playing time with the Hawks.

There were also reports recently that Shaq was considering one final big payday by going to Europe for a season or two at around $10 million per season, but apparently Shaq would rather chase his fifth NBA championship. He has already won four during his career, three with the Los Angeles Lakers and one with the Miami Heat.

Shaq has jumped around quite a bit since his time in Miami, as the Celtics will be his third team since being traded to Phoenix by the Heat. He has also spent time with the Orlando Magic (drafted by them) and with the Cleveland Cavaliers last season. His decision to go to Cleveland and "help the King win a ring" didn't quite go as planned, however, as the Cavs fell in the second round to Boston.

The opening game this season will be the Miami Heat visiting the Boston Celtics, and this could potentially be one of the best games of the year. LeBron James, who played his final game in a Cavs' uniform in Boston, will be playing his first game with the "Miami Thrice" on the same floor that saw the end of his career in Cleveland. The Heat were also eliminated from the postseason this past season by the Celtics, who many felt wouldn't make it past the first round before their stunning run to the Finals.

While Shaq is no longer capable of getting 30 and 10 every night, he will still be a valuable addition to Boston. They already signed Jermaine O'Neal to help fill the role of Rasheed Wallace, who as of now will retire. Shaq should see a good bit of playing time early in the season while Kendrick Perkins is still recovering from the knee injury he suffered in the Finals, but the main reason the team brought him on is for the postseason. In an Eastern Conference including Dwight Howard, Chris Bosh, and Andrew Bogut, the Celtics could use every big body they can find. And if they plan to make another run to the Finals, they will definitely need all the big men they can find, as they were destroyed on the boards by the Los Angeles Lakers this past postseason in the championship series.