“I’m Robbing The Celtics”: Just How Bad Was Shaquille O’Neal’s Boston Celtics Stint When Compared to Previous Performances?

NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal has had a lucrative career to his name. During the 19 years he devoted to the league, Shaq played for six different teams and earned numerous accolades to his name, including four championship rings and three Finals MVP titles. Amongst the intriguing chapters of his legacy, one that stands out more prominently than the others was the player’s brief stint with the Boston Celtics.

Shaq’s brief stint with the Boston Celtics continues to remain a topic of discussion amongst various NBA fans and analysts. For quite some time, one couldn’t scroll through Instagram or other social media sites without coming across a “Celtics Shaq” meme, reminding people of the Big Aristotle’s swan song.

Injuries killed anything special brewing in Beantown

After a couple of years of trying to find a new home after being traded by the Miami Heat, Shaquille O’Neal took his talents to the Celtics. With a strong roster comprised of legends like Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, NBA fans and analysts thought that this could be the season for Boston. Unfortunately, the expectations turned out too good to be true.

While remembering that eventful season, many people have also discussed what could have occurred if Shaq hadn’t been susceptible to so many injuries. Celtics legend Paul Pierce recently went on to state, “If we had him healthy, I think we would have won it that year.” His former teammate Kevin Garnett gave his approval and further added, “We only wish we got him (Shaq) earlier. He hurt his hip… We could have did some s**t.”

The Celtics had a great start to the season, with the Big Aristotle helping the team to a 17-4 record. However, things started to falter after Shaq started to miss out on most of the games in light of his hip injury. If that wasn’t enough, the 38-year-old also had an Achilles injury. Shaq was easily prone to foot injuries since the beginning due to his huge stature. However, this particular injury came as a culmination of 18 years of rigorous gameplay. Shaq had no choice but to opt out of 26 games, from February 1st to April 3rd, 2011.

Even after descending onto the court, Shaq’s minutes were low and his averages were worse. Out of the 37 games he played that season, Shaq averaged 9.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks. This was a steep drop from his season with the Suns two years ago, during which he averaged 17.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks. Furthermore, it barely crossed 1/3 of his career-high 1999-2000 season with the Lakers, during which he averaged 29.7 points and 13.6 rebounds.

As for the Big Aristotle himself, the memory of the performance he gave during his final NBA season was not something that he was going to forget so easily. During a 2019 interview with Fox Sports 1, Shaq recalled his brief stint with the Celtics and expressed his regret over not playing to his full potential.

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“I’m Shaq, but I’m not Shaq (in 2010-11). Shaq is not Shaq when he’s averaging seven, eight, nine points” said Shaq during the interview. “I can still entertain and do stuff to make people giggle, but that’s not Shaq. I’m robbing the people. I’m robbing the Celtics.” Despite Shaq’s poor performance, the Celtics managed to clinch the 3rd seed with a 56–26 record.

Shaquille O’Neal might have helped push the Celtics past the Miami Superteam

After dusting off the Knicks, the team faced off against the newly formed Miami Heat superteam of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. However, Shaq missing the first round and playing for only 12 minutes in two games during the second round created a void from which the Celtics didn’t recover. From an individual who carried over 216 playoff games by himself with an average of 24.3 points, and 11.6 rebounds, this drop was nothing short of devastating news.

Along with the fans, Shaq himself realized that it was time to hang up those basketball shoes. A few months after the playoffs, Shaq announced his official retirement via Twitter.

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The 2010-11 NBA season cannot be called the worst for the Boston Celtics, since they still managed to reach the playoffs and succeeded in creating a few records. However, when drawing a comparison with his scores from the previous seasons, one can draw the hypothesis that it was the worst for Shaquille O’Neal. Fans know it, his former teammates know it and even he himself knows it. While Shaq continues to remain one of the best centers the world of basketball has ever witnessed, he wasn’t able to add a good final chapter to his legacy.

Editorial Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of EssentiallySports.