It would be borderline disrespectful to refer to these current Celtics as the “Big Three’’ now. The emergence of Rajon Rondo and the addition yesterday of one rather sizable player changed that for good.
The Celtics will enter the upcoming season with nearly as much sizzle as their counterparts in Miami, as NBA icon, all-time great center, and Hall of Fame personality Shaquille O’Neal signed a two-year, $2.8 million contract with Boston, his fifth team in an illustrious but rocky career.
O’Neal has four NBA championship rings — three with the Lakers and one with the Heat — but he has left most of his previous teams with hard feelings, as he has been prone to clash with teammates and eventually wear out his welcome.
So with the Celtics having so many strong personalities and being an organization that makes team chemistry a priority, the signing of the 38-year-old center could be a risky move.
Yet if O’Neal blends into the system, they could have a defen sive and physical answer for most of their top rivals. When healthy and focused, O’Neal remains a skilled center who can draw double-teams — something Kendrick Perkins has yet to accomplish — and open up the floor for Paul Pierce and Ray Allen.
“It is not every day that you can add a player of Shaquille’s caliber to your team,’’ said Celtics president Danny Ainge in a statement. “His past experience speaks for itself and we believe that he is a great fit for our roster, so we’re very excited that he is joining the Celtics family.
“Some have questioned his effectiveness, but last year Shaquille was still one of the league’s better defensive rebounders. This will address a weakness of ours during last year’s regular season. In addition to rebounding, Shaq brings post scoring, toughness, and a winning spirit.
“I remember in 1985, we signed Bill Walton, and his addition put us over the top. We feel that with the addition of Shaq, we’ll have one of the best front lines in the league, and, when Kendrick Perkins returns, the deepest.
“Shaq has made it clear that he would do whatever it takes to help the team raise Banner 18, and we look forward to working towards that goal together.’’
Many questions won’t be answered until training camp. Will he start? Can he play with Kevin Garnett? How many shots will he demand? And what exactly will the Boston faithful call him?
Celtics fans have two months to come up with a nickname before O’Neal reports to training camp, though the organization appeared thrilled simply to acquire “The Big To Be Determined.’’
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