We now have definitive proof that Shaquille O'Neal is coming back to Boston next season — playing year 20, finishing up with his sixth team, pursuing ring No. 5. How do we know? Simple.
His mom says so.
At least that's the report from the Times Picayune, the local paper back in the O'Neal family's native Louisiana. Lucille O'Neal told the paper Thursday that she expects to see her 39-year-old son back in Celtic green for one more season.
"He went there to help them win a championship, and they didn’t do that this year," O'Neal's mother 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."
She "could believe" it. Not she's sure of it, not she believes it, but she could believe it. That's like Glen Davis dropping an "I plan on wishing I could stay" — if you give a statement that's multiple degrees separated from absolute confidence, then it's easy to cop out later.
We all could believe that Shaq is coming back for another season. It would be a nice little feel-good story in a way. He wants to show that he's still got something left, and he wants to win a title again. And if you set aside the miserably injury-plagued final four months (easy, right?), his first season in Boston did include a few fun moments. Remember when he dropped 25 and 11 on the Nets the night before Thanksgiving? He was throwing down dunks and high-fiving fans in courtside seats. Who doesn't want another year of that?
Well, on a rational level, everyone. That's who. Everyone in Boston should want to see the Celtics move on from the Shaq era. It's been an entertaining year, complete with highlight-reel dunks and orchestra concerts alike, but the guy is 39 at the end of the day. The Celtics need to get younger, healthier and more reliable. They're trying to keep up in the race for another championship, and Shaq's presence at this point is doing more harm than good.
It's always hard to say goodbye to a legend of the game. But with Shaq, now might sadly be the appropriate time.
"I don't know because Shaquille has got such passion for the game," his mother said. "We've always told him that's up to him. Whatever decision he makes, we're still going to be behind him 100 percent."
So will we.
We love you, Shaq, and we'll miss you here. Whatever you do, you've got support back in Boston. But another year in green might not be the way to go.
What do you think of Shaquille O'Neal's future? Share your thoughts below.
