In 2010, Shaquille O’Neal made the interesting decision to join the Boston Celtics. At the age of 39, Shaq signed the veteran minimum of $1,500,000 with the Cs. Having been a superstar ever since he entered the league in 1992, Big Diesel was used to signing for big money. However, now that he was on his last legs, he decided that chasing another ring was his only option. He had already won four rings, three with the Lakers and one with the Heat. So, as he revealed in his 2011 book Shaq Uncut, joining the Big 3 in Boston was the smartest move.
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By the time Shaq joined the Celtics he had already cemented his legacy. Not only did he have four NBA Championships, but he was also a former MVP and had multiple All-Star and All-NBA selections to his name. As such, his place in the Hall of Fame was already set, and the possibility of adding another banner to the rafters in Boston wouldn’t tarnish his reputation.
Shaquille O’Neal justified his decision to sign with the Boston Celtics, claiming he wanted to further his legacy
Following his retirement, Shaquille O’Neal released his book Shaq Uncut. In it, he discussed a variety of topics including his 19-year career in the NBA. During his time in the league, Shaq played for several teams. This included the Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers, and lastly, the Boston Celtics.
In 2010, when Shaq decided to go to Boston, he was already in the twilight years of his career. Aged 39, he signed a veteran minimum with the Celtics. It was a questionable move, considering he was a player used to signing max extensions with teams and also because of his history with the Lakers. So, his stint at the TD Garden was analyzed closely.
Well, in his book, The Big Aristotle justified his move to Massachussets. He explained, that despite being a Laker legend, the move to the Celtics was all so that he could further his legacy. After all, what harm could chasing a fifth ring do?
“What it came down to was, if I wanted to play for the Boston Celtics, I was going to have to take the minimum, which was about $1.5 million. I was going to be thirty-nine years old, and it was obvious to me I needed to go somewhere that wouldn’t ask me to do too much by myself. I had already done it my way, I already had four rings, so where could I go to further my legacy? I looked at all the contending teams, and Boston stood out for a number of reasons.”
Shaq was a positive influence on the Celtics’ locker room. A veteran presence, his knowledge was greatly appreciated. However, his last season in the league didn’t end well. Despite hoping to win another championship, he never saw those hopes become a reality. Seeing as the Cs were only able to make it to the Conference semi-finals before falling to the Miami Heat.
Shaq earned the most money with the Celtics’ fierce rivals the LA Lakers
As mentioned earlier, Shaquille O’Neal was a player used to cashing in big paychecks. During his time in the NBA, Shaq earned a whopping $286,344,668 playing basketball. However, he earned a measly $1,352,181 when he was with the Celtics, the lowest he has ever earned in his 19 seasons.
On the contrary, the Hall of Famer ironically earned the most money in his career during his time with the LA Lakers. Where he pocketed a cool $27,696,430 in the 2004-05 season. His last season with the team.
Shaq sure knew how to make money. And, his $286,344,668 career earnings are just a small part of the $400,000,000 empire he built for himself.
