Hardwood Houdini
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8 players the Boston Celtics signed past their prime

By Michael Saenz

Boston Celtics (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Boston Celtics (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /
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Boston Celtics (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

Shaquille O’Neal (2010)

During the summer of 2010, the Boston Celtics took a gamble on one of the biggest names in NBA history. The Celtics signed Shaquille O’Neal to be the team’s starting center. During his lone season with the Celtics, Shaq played just 37 games (averaging roughly 20 minutes per contest) and averaged nine points and five rebounds per game. Shaq was well past his prime and it was oftentimes painful to see him try to keep up with the younger frontcourt players in the league.

As had become a trend over the last few years of his career, Shaq simply could not overcome the injuries over the course of the season. He missed almost the entire playoff run before the Celtics lost in the second round to the Miami Heat.

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In what ended up being one final attempt to win another championship ring, Shaq’s lone season with the Celtics was a farewell tour more than anything. After 19 years in the NBA, with six different teams, Shaq finally announced his retirement after one season with the Celtics. At that point, it was clear Shaq was a shell of himself and that injuries had indeed taken a huge toll on his body.