The NBA Eastern Conference champions Boston Celtics just got 325 pounds bigger after signing free agent Shaquille O’Neal to a contract yesterday.
With NBA rings earned while playing with the Miami Heat and L.A. Lakers, the 7-foot-1 Shaq goes to Boston the year 
after failing to win a championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James last season.
The two-year deal is said to be worth around $3 million and will take one of the NBA’s most popular players to the end of a 20-year career.
Big Daddy, 38 years old, will be teamed up with several other aging but productive players on the parquet floor including Kevin Garnett, 34, and Ray Allen, 35.
Shaq was originally drafted No. 1 overall in the 1992 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic after a successful college stint at LSU.
Playing on 6 teams, his career numbers include 28,255 points (5th overall), 12,921 rebounds (14th overall) and 15 All-Star appearances.
O’Neal’s playoff experience is sure to help the Celtics but the big man does bring some baggage with him in the fo
rm of brick-throwing from the free throw line.
When I was living in Orlando, while Shaq was imploding at the line with the Magic, I had my wife come out to the neighborhood hoop and asked her to “stand on that white line right there” and see how many shots she could make into the hoop. She hit her first 6 out of 10 for 60% meaning her percentage was better than Shaq’s currently was at that time for the Magic. Could she do that again? Probably not since that was the first time she shot a basketball since her gym class in high school but it makes a good story.
If you would like to get personal with Shaq, you can follow him on Twitter at his account; @THE_REAL_SHAQ.
MORE NBA:
How to find NBA Players on Twitter
Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC