NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O"Neal has made a surprising revelation about his motivations during his last professional years.
The ever-candid O"Neal confessed to his ambitious pursuit on “The Big Podcast with Shaq."
During his final years with the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics, O"Neal was searching for another championship ring, hoping to add to his collection of three victories with the Los Angeles Lakers and one with the Miami Heat.
A goal inspired by his former teammate and basketball legend, Kobe Bryant.
Shaq admits he ring chased with the Cavs and Celtics because he wanted to catch Kobe in rings 😅
(🎥 @bigpodwithshaq / https://t.co/iNYMmum1a0) pic.twitter.com/HOHkvGEzJj
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 13, 2024
O"Neal signed a lucrative two-year contract with the Boston Celtics, which turned out to be the last team in his career.
The maritime-inspired franchise"s green jersey creator expressed regret over retiring a year earlier than planned.
His first season at Boston was plagued by injuries, which derailed O"Neal"s plans and put his farewell tour on the back burner.
An injury during his first season with the Celtics completely threw off O"Neal"s game plan. He expressed his fear of short-changing Celtics fans and the team if he couldn"t deliver his usual high performance.
"In my mind I’m like I’m used to parades and banners and making people complain to the refs and making people say ‘Oh we playin’ against Shaq? I don’t want to play tonight.’ That’s what I want to be remembered as," he said.
"And growing up in that military family, my father says you always gotta look a man or a woman in the face and be honest. And I felt like I was robbing them. I didn’t feel right. [Coach Doc Rivers] told me when I came in ‘We’re not going to need you to do much. Just rebound.’ And I accepted and said O.K.
"I just wanted to try to …. I was ring chasing. I’m being honest. Yeah, I was ring chasing."
Playing below his standard was something O"Neal wasn"t comfortable with and felt would tarnish his timeless legacy.
O"Neal"s confession revealed the pressure he imposed on himself to maintain his reputation. A reputation of being unstoppable, a player that caused opponents to hesitate just by his presence. That, according to O"Neal, is the legacy he wanted to leave behind.
O"Neal speculated that had they kept Kendrick Perkins or if he hadn"t battled injuries, the Celtics might have had a shot at the championship.
"I was ring chasing, I really was," O’Neal said. "But I wanted to help [Paul Pierce] because Paul was one of my favorite players and I love [Kevin Garnett]."
O"Neal played 37 games in his final season with Boston, starting 36 of them. The figures weren"t up to his usual standard, as he averaged 9.2 points and 4.8 rebounds per game – the lowest in his illustrious career.
