Shaquille O'Neal: Difference between revisions

}}</ref> Publicly, he insisted he did not care whether he started or substituted for the Celtics, but expected to be part of the second unit.<ref name=macmullan_20100927/> Privately, he wanted to start, but kept it to himself.<ref>[[#oneal2011|O'Neal, MacMullan 2011]], p. 244.</ref> O'Neal missed games throughout the season due to an assortment of ailments to his right leg<ref name=may>{{cite news |last=May |first=Peter |title=Celtics Creak Toward Postseason, Hoping They Have Legs for a Run |date=April 11, 2011 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |page=D7 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/11/sports/basketball/11celtics.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220606094416/http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/11/sports/basketball/11celtics.html?_r=1 |archive-date=June 6, 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> including knee,<ref>{{cite news |last=Forsberg |first=Chris |title=Shaquille O'Neal starts vs. Heat |date=November 11, 2010 |work=ESPNBoston.com |url=https://www.espn.com/boston/nba/news/story?id=5792098 |access-date=March 22, 2011 |archive-date=November 14, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101114154533/http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/nba/news/story?id=5792098 |url-status=live }}</ref> calf,<ref>{{cite news |last=Forsberg |first=Chris |title=Celtics get Shaquille O'Neal back |date=December 19, 2010 |work=ESPNBoston.com |url=https://www.espn.com/boston/nba/news/story?id=5936008 |access-date=March 22, 2011 |archive-date=December 22, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101222031626/http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/nba/news/story?id=5936008 |url-status=live }}</ref> hip,<ref>{{cite news |last=Forsberg |first=Chris |title=Shaquille O'Neal injures hip |date=January 22, 2011 |work=ESPNBoston.com |url=https://www.espn.com/boston/nba/news/story?id=6046855 |access-date=March 22, 2011 |archive-date=January 25, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110125100641/http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/nba/news/story?id=6046855 |url-status=live }}</ref> and Achilles injuries.<ref>{{cite news |last=Payne |first=Greg |title=Shaq says he's 85 percent; out another week |date=March 7, 2011 |work=ESPNBoston.com |url=https://www.espn.com/blog/boston/celtics/post/_/id/4681422/shaq-says-hes-85-percent-out-another-week |access-date=March 22, 2011 |archive-date=March 11, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110311112704/http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/celtics/post/_/id/4681422/shaq-says-hes-85-percent-out-another-week |url-status=live }}</ref> The Celtics traded away center [[Kendrick Perkins]] in February partially due to the expectation that O'Neal would return to fill Perkins' role. The Celtics were 33–10 in games Perkins had missed during the year due to injury,<ref name=may/> and they were 19–3 in games that O'Neal played over 20&nbsp;minutes.<ref>{{cite news |last=Payne |first=Greg |title=Doc Rivers: Timing of trade was off |date=May 16, 2011 |work=ESPNBoston.com |url=https://www.espn.com/boston/nba/news/story?id=6555870 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110519092858/http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/nba/news/story?id=6555870 |archive-date=May 19, 2011 }}</ref> After requesting a [[cortisone]] shot, O'Neal returned April 3 after missing 27&nbsp;games due to his Achilles; he played only five minutes due to a strained right calf.<ref name=may/><ref>[[#oneal2011|O'Neal, MacMullan 2011]] p. 256.</ref> It was the last regular season game he would play that year.<ref>{{cite news |title=Amare Stoudemire back as Celts' reserves top Knicks' second string |date=April 13, 2011 |agency=[[Associated Press]] |work=ESPN |url=http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=310413002 |access-date=April 14, 2011 |quote=Shaquille O'Neal, who has played 5 minutes, 29 seconds since Feb. 1, also sat out. |archive-date=April 17, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110417152245/http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=310413002 |url-status=dead }}</ref> O'Neal missed the first round of the [[2011 NBA Playoffs|2011 playoffs]]. He insisted on more cortisone shots and returned in the second round, but he was limited to 12&nbsp;minutes in two games as the Heat eliminated the Celtics from the playoffs.<ref>{{cite news |last=Forsberg |first=Chris |title=Report card: Shaquille O'Neal |date=May 18, 2011 |work=ESPNBoston.com |url=https://www.espn.com/blog/boston/celtics/post/_/id/4684171/report-card-shaquille-oneal |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110521043123/http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/celtics/post/_/id/4684171/report-card-shaquille-oneal |archive-date=May 21, 2011 }}</ref><ref>[[#oneal2011|O'Neal, MacMullan]] p. 257.</ref>

 

 

==National team career==