When Rasheed Wallace announced his retirement back in August — saying he was done playing through injuries and didn’t feel up to another full season of NBA action — Pierce fired back with a little announcement of his own.
“I told him, ‘Go ahead, do all you need to do,'” Pierce said. “‘Take the kids everywhere. We’ll see you in February.'”
It’s now January, and the rumors of Sheed’s planned return are rumbling through Boston, almost right on schedule with Pierce’s prediction.
According to Wallace’s reported “plan,” the forward wants to break away from the chains of retirement, join the Celtics again, and finally defeat the Lakers in the NBA Finals.
While it’s a nice proposition, it’s all just too little, too late when it comes to Wallace and his career in Boston. He missed his opportunity when he chose retirement during the offseason. Joining the team halfway through a season where they sit ever-so-nicely near the top of their conference feels like a cheap move. Like Wallace is cherry-picking his way to an NBA title.
Wallace had his chance with the C’s, and unfortunately, they lost in Game 7 in Los Angeles last season. But, the team had the same amount of promise heading into the 2010-11 season, and Wallace chose to leave his three-year contract with Boston, forcing the team to buy out. If Sheed is expecting Boston to welcome him back with open arms, he’s got another thing coming.
We’ve all seen how the “fake retirement” bit worked with Brett Favre — these things hardly ever work out in the player’s favor, and it won’t in Wallace’s, even if the Celtics do decide to take him back. He already has an NBA Finals title under his belt, so he should just sit back and enjoy it.
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