Shaquille O’Neal could be back in the Boston Celtics lineup by the end of the week after a strained calf suffered Sunday became his latest injury setback. But O’Neal going down only 5 1/2 minutes into his return following a 27-game absence with an Achilles tendon issue is proof of what the Celtics should’ve already learned: it always ends badly with Shaq.
It always starts out with O’Neal’s oversized personality endearing him to a new team and city as much as his dominance in the lane — even though the latter becomes increasingly infrequent while his age (39), weight (325 pounds), and the time he needs to recover from injuries trend in the opposite fashion.
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The sad truth about the future Hall of Fame center is both the Cavaliers and Suns got further in the playoffs without O’Neal than they did with him. The Celtics, having already jettisoned Kendrick Perkins — because the only thing they did with him was win an NBA title — could be poised to suffer the same fate.
