A recent article by HoopsHype put together a review of the biggest salary drops from one season to the next, and more than one Boston alumnus made an appearance
The Boston Celtics have long been a team that star players near the twilight of their respective careers often have signed up with. Whether to be associated with the storied franchise, or to capitalize on the strength of the team at the time, Boston has been a place with open doors for veterans looking to have played out their careers in green and white.
One unintended consequence of that trend is that many a star inking a late-career deal with the Celtics has seen the size of their paycheck drop considerably as a result of their new role. In some cases, historically so.
A recent article by HoopsHype’s Sam Yip put together a review of the biggest such salary drops from one season to the next, and more than one Boston alumnus made an appearance — let’s take a look at which.
Celtics Lab 151: On NBA (un)accountability and unseemly entanglements from Ime Udoka to Kyrie Irving with Dave Zirin https://t.co/iVZq9jXc3x
NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal compares his own struggles with hecklers to what Ben Simmons is currently going through.
The Brooklyn Nets suffered a tough loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, and Ben Simmons continues to struggles offensively as he extended his single-digit scoring streak.
NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal talked with journalists on an NBA on TNT program about Simmons’ struggles and scrutiny from fans. O’Neal made the comparison of Simmons’ doubters to his own free-throw hecklers.
“I understand exactly what Ben’s going through. You don’t think I, after missing ten free-throws in a row, I’m nervous about going to the line? Confession time: I used to be scared [expletive].
…. Let’s just say there’s a tie game, couple seconds left and I made that one, now I’m laughing back at you and you can’t do [expletive] about it. So, like, I never got hurt. Let me tell you something – it weighed on me. I used to go home and tear my house up. I used to go home and listen to what everybody says. Guys you thought were your friends, Stephen A. [Smith] and all that, they used to say the same thing. But I couldn’t…. that didn’t make me want to quit, it made me want to make you shut up.”
Some of the greatest players to play the game have suited up for Boston at the 5 over the course of the organization’s storied history.
Perhaps the most impactful position in the history of the Boston Celtics,centers have been instrumental in winning most of the team’s NBA-record 17 banners. Some of the greatest to play the game have suited up for the Celtics at the 5 over the course of the organization’s storied past.
Scholars of the team’s history are already aware of the names mentioned in the latest edition of HoopsHype’s 20 greatest centers list. A number of the all-time great Boston big men made the cut for H/H’s list.
Let’s dive into which former Celtics made the list.
Watch footage from Larry Legend’s first-ever All-Star appearance in this clip. https://t.co/zrPVr6sQLt
Wade was a fixture on Turner’s broadcast since joining the network in 2019. But according to Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson, Wade left the media space to focus on his other business ventures. Wade also owns a minority stake in the Utah Jazz.
Crawford, however, is a brilliant choice to replace Wade in the studio.
NEWS: TNT is hiring Jamal Crawford as Dwyane Wade's replacement, The Post has learned. https://t.co/NtklU98Qo6
Crawford will replace Wade every Tuesday night for the NBA on TNT Postgame Show. He will work alongside Shaquille O’Neal, Candace Parker, and Adam Lefkoe.
“Anybody that knows me knows I hate asking anybody for anything. But I’ll ask the kids who they want to see and I’ll try to go get that person. I’ll ask the pros because it means more than just playing in a pick-up game or a scrimmage game. It gives these kids hope. If they can see you in person for free, that’s what it’s all about.”
Crawford last played in the NBA on Aug. 4, 2020. He retired in March 2022.
It is clear when listening to him speak that the 21-year NBA veteran is an incredibly knowledgeable basketball mind who should provide great insight on these broadcasts.
Earlier this week Brooklyn Nets playmaking forward Ben Simmons sat down with former teammate JJ Redick on his podcast to discuss his basketball journey, including the excessive criticism and hate he’s received.
NBA legend and personality Shaquille O’Neal took to his Big Podcast to react to Simmons’ claims that O’Neal is a hater. Shaq said, “First of all, these young players you need to understand Shaquille O’Neal don’t need to hate on you. Everything you’re doing I’d have done it a hundred times over.”
Shaq continued:
“First of all, if you play at 9:30 and we come on at 10 and we say something, it’s just what we see. The mental thing ain’t come out until everybody start bashing you, then you let people know you have mental health problems.
…. I told the world, I said ‘he did DM me he told me he’s going through some problems,’ and I said I was going to back up and then I told him in the DM ‘OK, the reason why people don’t know what’s going on because you ain’t talking. But as far as what I saw and I speak on what I know, I know how to get to that next level. He knows that and yes, you can be my brother, but I ain’t gonna always sugarcoat things, I’m gonna tell you the real. I ain’t never sugarcoat.
…. But you can’t say I’m hating because all the stuff you’re doing it because you saw me do it… If you’re greater, you can’t be a hater.”
We might be biased, but we’re not too crazy about the update.
While some NBA media outlets are dialed into the 2022-23 NBA season for their annual exercise to fill the late September content desert that is ranking season, our sister site HoopsHype has its eyes on a bigger prize.
Drawing on the popular all-time NBA list released adjacent to the NBA’s version put together for the league’s 75th anniversary, HoopsHype has gone a step further and updated the list again for 2022. There’s quite a bit of change (including the absence of many Boston Celtics who made the last list), and to be frank, we are not fans of an all-time list that would see so much turnover a mere 365 days later.
Take a look for yourselves at the various Celtics greats who were omitted and where those who remain are ranked now, and let us know why we are wrong if you feel so compelled.
Can you name the players — and better yet, the seasons — Boston had a player named Finals MVP? https://t.co/cSQKtitGwp
Shaquille O’Neal says he had a unique way of getting Kobe Bryant to play his best back when they were teammates on the Lakers.
In the early 2000s, the Los Angeles Lakers won three straight NBA championships behind the combined brilliance of Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant.
However, the supposed tension between the two has been well-documented over the years.
Many, including O’Neal and Bryant themselves, downplayed how bad things were back then, but there was no doubt the two weren’t always the best of friends.
The Hall of Fame center has claimed on multiple occasions that he concocted the drama between himself and Bryant to generate interest in the team on a national scale.
During a recent episode of the “Patrick Bet-David Podcast,” O’Neal talked about how he would get on the superstar guard’s nerves to get him to play his best.
“He was alien-like. When he was 18, he used to be in a locker room, dribbling and shooting without the ball for hours. And then you see him practice the same move on the court. Like he was obsessed with being the best ever. I was obsessed with being the most dominant. He was obsessed with being the best ever. And sometimes you sacrifice a lot of things — and he did. All he did was work out. And I knew all he did was work out so I used to push his buttons all the time because I knew what I was going to give you. So if I know I could have somebody else that can give similar and more, I was definitely going to win. So, I was always the guy that presses buttons. The audience thought that it was a personal thing, we hated each other, but no, it was me and my leadership style and what I chose to do to get him to perform at a higher level.”
When O’Neal went into greater detail, it appeared that perhaps he did exasperate the tension between himself and Bryant.
“Pressing buttons and saying, ‘This ain’t your team, this is my team, little man.’ You might be Kobe, but I’m the Shaq. And it would just eat him up inside and I would see that, and I would use that. Notice how out of all our interactions, Phil Jackson never intervened, you know? Like that. Because you got two animals going at it. And his only request was: on the court, make sure you play as one. And you know, that’s what we did.”
Although many focus on their supposed feud and how many championships they may have left on the table after their split in 2004, the focus should be on how phenomenally successful they were in such a short span.
After all, only the Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls had also managed to win three straight NBA titles.
O’Neal stated that though Rodman was a ‘great player’, ‘he made it hard.’
Every athlete at every level has their favorite teammates, whether that’s based on who they can trust in a game or someone who they enjoy spending time with in the locker room or away from the game.
With having a favorite typically comes with also having a least favorite.
For Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal, he made his ‘worst teammate’ very clear on the most recent episode of his podcast, The Big Podcast with Shaq — and that teammate just so happens to be a Bulls legend.
“Worst teammate? Dennis Rodman. He was a great player, but he made it hard. Like when you try to corral the guys together and the people above you are letting this one guy do whatever he wants,” O’Neal said. “So we had to be there an hour before the game. He’d come in fifteen minutes before the game eating chicken and rice. While the coaches are talking, he would jump in the shower. Cold shower. Come and give you 15-20 rebounds.”
O’Neal was teammates with Rodman in 1998-99, where Rodman played just 23 games for the Lakers, averaging 2.1 points and 11.2 rebounds per game.
Prior to his short stint in Los Angeles, Rodman was a vital part of the Bulls’ second three-peat from 1995-1998.
NBA Legend Shaquille O’Neal responds to a question, asking if he believes Steve Nash will be able to navigate this season successfully.
Following a long stressful summer for the Brooklyn Nets, NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal talked about his former teammate Steve Nash and the coaching situation happening across the bridge.
In an interview with associate editor Bill DiFilippo of Uproxx, he asked the big man if he thought Nash could navigate this season as the Nets coach. Shaq responded by saying that he could never lead a team with a lack of respect, inferring the Durant-Nash situation.
“Before I answer the question, I’m gonna tell you a little story. A guy asked me the other day, “you ever think about coaching?” And the answer is no. He said why? When a guy makes 20 times more than you, it’s gonna be hard for them to respect you. It shows that they don’t respect him. All the “I want him gone, I want him gone,” and then to come back and say we worked it out, nah, it ain’t that easy. As adults, we can have a heart-to-heart, we can iron it out. But it’s still right here. So when things don’t go right, they’re gonna blame it on him. So, he’s gonna have to demand their respect. As a player, if you know you were better than a former player who’s now a coach, it’s gonna be hard for you to, in tough situations, listen to him. So, it’s gonna be tough. I know the coaches I played for, they put their foot down. Sometimes you got to put your foot down, even if the player makes a $50 million, you got to put your foot down, especially if they ain’t gonna step up, anyway.”
The Durant-Nash relationship will be something to watch all season when 2022-23 gets underway. The future Hall of Famer delivered an ultimatum to team governor Joe Tsai that it was either get rid of Nash and GM Sean Marks or trade Durant. Neither
Shaq also discusses NBA2K23, traveling to Australia, and more.
Shaquille O’Neal has returned to the broadcasting booth for NBA 2K23, which is now available for download worldwide.
O’Neal once again appears in the video game alongside fellow Inside The NBA hosts Ernie Johnson and Kenny Smith for a simulated version of the halftime show. He appears on several all-time and classic rosters that are available for play as well.
To promote the game, the four-time NBA champion partnered with Papa John’s and Mountain Dew for the MTN DEW NBA ® 2K23 Player’s Pack Bundle. This promotion gives fans an opportunity to unlock up to a million dollars worth of in-game swag.
The fifteen-time All-Star caught up with For The Win to discuss the promo. He also reflected on his experience as a producer on the Oscar-winning short documentary The Queen of Basketball, what it was like to watch his son play for the Lakers in summer league, and more.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
