Two years ago, Boston had a role-playing big man retire in Rasheed Wallace. Last season it was Shaquille O’Neal who retired from the Celtics.
Next up, Jermaine O’Neal.
At least that’s the plan the 15-year veteran told A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com while in Las Vegas for the Impact Competitive Training Series (where O’Neal is the oldest guy there and played the first day but not the second).Jermaine O’Neal told CSNNE.com that, barring an unexpected change of heart which he says is unlikely, this will be his last season….
“I’m going into my 16th year, so I know my time is near,” O’Neal said. “I know someday the ball is going to go flat; you have to plan for life after basketball and that’s what I have been doing….
“You never say never, but like I said earlier, my kids are getting older,” he said. “The only thing left that I want to do in this league, is win a championship. That’s why I came to Boston last year because I felt this was the best place for me to do that; win a championship.”Boston needs to find a way to keep his minutes down next season and start to look for another big man to step in next season. Boston appears to be making a run at a ring for a couple more years with this core, but then a massive rebuilding project will take place. O’Neal is part of the group on its way out, for sure.
