Has Everyone Lost Their Mind?

[jason macleod]

Am I the only one really disturbed by this shaq signing?  This is not "just" a former Laker, he's a three time Laker champion.  I'm not calmed by the fact he has drifted since those years, he is and always will be the enemy to me and I as a fan cannot for the first time support Danny's decision.  Insert sad face....

[Fafnir]

I don't care where he's played before if he can help us now.

Red traded for Kermit Washington after all.

[Bankshot]

Eh, if Shaq doesn't mind being a Celtic after once being a Laker, then I don't mind it either. Besides, I never had a beef with Shaq when he was with the Lakers, it was always Kobe and the Laker team as a whole. Shaq is a mercenary now.

[gar]

Is hard to be a fan of the Celtics and not to be a fan of the Game. The way the Celtics have been playing you would hate to see them do anything to disrupt that - it is a thing of beauty that everyone in the league recognizes. At the same time we are in the middle of an arms race. Shaq may be the enemy, but he has always been a lovable one (as opposed to Sheed, who we grew to respect if not love). His game is not pretty and there are many thing to be concerned about; but I think he will have a blast and I think that will translate to some great basketball. Shaq has never played with such a large group of his peers. Kobe was not his peer. Dwade was not his peer. Lebron certainly as not his peer. They all have one goal, they all have been around the game a long time. Should be really interesting and Stern must be licking his chops, because will be great for the ratings.

[GreenFaith1819]

Am I the only one really disturbed by this shaq signing?  This is not "just" a former Laker, he's a three time Laker champion.  I'm not calmed by the fact he has drifted since those years, he is and always will be the enemy to me and I as a fan cannot for the first time support Danny's decision.  Insert sad face....

Well, that's the thing.....Shaq still has something to prove here. Yes - Shaq is a former Laker, and a Huge part of their success in the early 2000's. Yes - he is older, and more limited in what he can do and how long he can play.

But Shaq is The Forgotten Man. In the weeks leading up to the Celtics-Lakers series and even during the series, there was hardly ANY mention of Shaq on the Lakers Blog Silver Screen and Roll. When CLE played LA last season, there was once again hardly any mention of Shaq and what he did for LA.

I understand that teams move on, but how can you basically ignore one of the greatest centers to play the game? On SS and R, its all about Kobe. In "Some" LA fans eyes, it appears that he doesn't exist. I stressed "Some" because of course I cannot speak for all LA fans, but from what I see at SS & R, Shaq is a past relic.

Over here, we talk often about Bill Russell, Cousy, Powe, Gerald, Antoine, etc...nearly every week.

How can a fanbase make little mention of Shaq, even during CLE-LA games last year? It was rather baffling to me. I understand that Kobe VS Lebron was the main show, but I noted how ineffective Gasol and Bynum were with the Big Fella in the middle for CLE. I watched some of the Christmas Day game - neither of those two would challenge the rim much with Shaq out there. Bynum played timidly.

Now, I know that CLE was one of the best defensive teams last year, but still Shaq made LA's frontline rather ineffective in their two games.

Yes - Shaq (hopefully) is about to wear Green, and I love it. Doc Rivers will be able to manange him, like he has done with KG, Ray and Pierce through the years.

Kobe made this even more personal for Shaq with his comments about the number of rings he has compared to Shaq after they beat us in June.

I really believe, in this scenario, that Shaq wearing Green is a good thing. The last 38 year-old Big we had was PJ Brown, and while he was not Shaquille O'Neal, he played well for us and helped us win Banner 17.

Shaq will have four other Bigs (KG, Glen and J.O) with something to prove (See Xmuscularghandi's Thread).

C'mon over, Big Fella! All I can see is him telling Kobe in June 2011: "I have 5 rings now, Kobe - and I helped You, Wade and Now your franchises mortal enemy win one."
 

[boscel33]

and chris nilan was a dreaded canadian that i loved when the b's got him.  if shaq can help the c's to 18 and maybe 19, i don't care what he did in his past life!

[wiley]

It's been to long for his Lakerness to matter.  He's been gone from L.A. for like a million years, and even has a championship elsewhere.....plus, he's a dinasaur.  Once you reach your dinasaur years all your former teams auras fall off like dead snake's skin....He's now officially a wildcard dinasaur gun for hire.  Our wildcard dinasaur gun for hire.....

[kozlodoev]

There are plenty of things that disturb me about the Shaq signing. That he won championships with the Lakers is not one of them.

[wiley]

There are plenty of things that disturb me about the Shaq signing. That he won championships with the Lakers is not one of them.

Yes me too.  I'm on board basically just due to my fanhood and Danny trust.  But in fact, if it fell through, crushed I wouldn't be.....

[toinewalka]

I don't really understand.  Everyone on this site talks about how we need to add another big man, especially with Perk out for an extended period, and the uncertainty around his performance once he returns (possibly months from now).  Now we could potentially get Shaq and people start complaining?

I'm not saying Shaq is anywhere near where he used to be, but he is still the best available big man on the market right now that the Celtics could possibly target.  In limited minutes he can still score in the paint and rebound, and that's two things we couldn't do all last season.  Also, Rondo loves running, but the playoffs and 4th quarters came down to half court basketball, and Shaq changes that game on both ends of the floor.

I understand we are not getting the same three-time champion he once was, but we are certainly getting a better player than Kwame Brown ever was/will be, and the best big (and a game changer) on the market.

[Bahku]

Shaq has not been a Laker in almost seven years, and been on opposing teams for the same duration. In that time, he has been bashed by Kobe and Laker fans alike repeatedly, and while he was once a Laker, there is no love lost there at all.

Kobe has rubbed his nose in the fact that he has one more championship ring than Shaq, and there would be no greater satisfaction for Shaq than to even that ante up, (or even surpass it), as a member of the Celtics.

If we're going to judge players by where they came from originally, I guess we should worry about every member of our team that wasn't drafted ... and even Paul Pierce, as the Lakers were his idols for the majority of his life, and he grew up right down the street from the Forum.

Not only do I approve of this acquisition, but the last time I was this excited about an upcoming season, was in the summer of 2007. It's about time that something happened with the Celtics this summer that was worth getting up for. I'm lovin' this!

[toinewalka]

Couldn't have said it better myself.  TP

[clover]

Kobe would bother me.  Shaq off the bench doesn't.

[clover]

Besides, just the humor of seeing Shaq and Nate coming into games together will provide season-long entertainment.

[Spilling Green Dye]

No, I have not lost my mind.

I've never really thought of Shaq as a "Laker", but instead as a goofy nba guy.  If I pictured him in any uniform it'd probably be the Magic too.

Not to mention that Shaq has been to two other teams since the Lakers, and won a ring with one of those teams too.  

While watching the Cavs series I kept thinking "Shaq would do well on the Celtics".  He will help us win and I'm very happy he's coming here.