BOSTON:
Shaquille O’Neal, one of the most dominating big men in NBA history in his prime, announced his retirement on Wednesday after a 19-year career that saw him win four NBA titles.
‘Shaq’ was at his finest from 2000 through 2002 when he combined with star guard Kobe Bryant to guide the Los Angeles Lakers to three NBA crowns, and he added another in 2006 with Miami, two years after being traded to the Heat.
“im retiring,” tweeted O’Neal who was nagged by injuries in the later seasons of his career, including failed stints to help bring titles to Phoenix, Cleveland and this season in Boston. A nagging right Achilles tendon injury proved more than ‘Shaq’ could overcome and he told a reporter that he considered making a comeback but did not want to disappoint Celtics fans.
“I didn’t want to let people down two years in a row. I didn’t want to hold Boston hostage again. I’m letting everybody know now so the organisation can try to get younger talent. I would love to come back, but they say once the Achilles is damaged it’s never the same. I don’t want to take that chance.”
O’Neal, a 15-time NBA All-Star, ranks fifth on the all-time NBA scoring list with 28,596 points and his three NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Awards trail only Michael Jordan on the all-time list. He ranks 12th on the NBA all-time rebound list with 13,099 and played only 37 games for the Celtics this season, only three of those appearances coming in the last two and a half months of the season.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 3rd, 2011.
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