Halftime Hype

On Monday, the U.S. Soccer Federation finally decided on a manager, opting to extend Bob Bradley's contract through 2014. After the United States' early exit against Ghana in the past World Cup, it was unclear if he would continue to manage the national team. In the ensuing weeks, Bradley would eye possibilities in Europe and U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati would make his own assessment. Ultimately, the two sides rejoined forces.

In a conference call with members of the media today, Gulati began by saying, "I think Bob’s done a great job of putting a group of players together and not just at the World Cup, in developing that group over three and a half to four years and we’re looking forward to building on that." It seems like Gulati exemplified the famous saying, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Although Gulati had initially expressed disappointment after the United States was knocked out, he clarified that the disappointment was not specifically in the coaching. "the disappointment part, as I stated then, was not in the team or Bob’s efforts or winning the group, obviously, the disappointment was that we all, always want one more game."

In a nutshell, the general vibe from Gulati is that the United States reached pre-World Cup expectations and he was proud of the respect U.S. Soccer gained during Bradley's tenure. However, after winning the group and with interest in U.S. Soccer at an all-time high, he foresaw a deeper run. Obviously, the team would not subsequently receive "one more game."

Perhaps the two most important questions were 1) What was the key factor in bringing Bradley back, and 2) Did Gulati speak with other managers?

"What was the most decisive factor was experience, the record over the last four years, in games that mattered especially," Gulati said. As for exploring other candidates, Gulati would make a point of not commenting on the matter.

When asked if he, indeed, met with Jurgen Klinnsman to discuss managing the national team, Gulati would not confirm. “We’re here to talk about Bob’s appointment as national team coach. I’m not going to talk about any conversations that we may or may not have had with any other candidate. We are going to talk strictly about our national team coach... That’s all we’re going to be talking about today.”

Another thought-provoking debate is whether or not the Federation should consider hiring a foreign manager. Until things dramatically change, the best soccer is being played in Europe - meaning the world's top managers are there, too. Someone like Klinnsman, who guided Germany to third place in the 2006 World Cup, could be a tremendous asset to U.S. Soccer. Having had a greater exposure to premier leagues and teams, he may have an edge in knowing how to beat the best.

By the same token, there can be cultural barriers to hiring a foreign coach. For example, the United States is not under as much pressure as, say, Spain. The demands are simply different. Moreover, there's the question of whether or not a foreign coach could identify with U.S. players. Perhaps Ruud Gullit's stint as manager of the Los Angeles Galaxy was the best example.

In an interview after the World Cup, Landon Donovan chided in on the debate: "I'm a little skeptical of foreign coaches in our league and in U.S. Soccer just because of how different our league is and our players are than other players around the world. So in theory sometimes it sounds sexy to have a guy like Ruud Gullit or in this case, who knows?

You could bring in [Fabio] Capello and I'm not sure you would get the results you wanted because there's so much to our league and our players than people realize. So it would be a little risky to do that unless you find the right person who really cares and understands and wants to learn about our league and our players."

Interestingly enough, in the same interview, Donovan said he would also be fine if Klinnsman, whom Donovan had played for while on loan to Bayern Munich, ended up manager of the national team. Well, today the most important opinion, that of Sunil Gulati, was expressed.

“Do I think there are some natural advantages to having a coach who understands the American system? The answer is yes. That does not mean there aren't also advantages to having a coach who has coached in the Premier League, or Serie A or two World Cups or whatever else it might be."

Different candidates bring different attributes. I don't think there's any doubt that having knowledge of the American setup is a plus. I said that four years ago and I think that's the case now. That doesn't mean we wouldn't consider an international coach, it just means they'd have a different set of strengths. In this particular area it would likely be a weakness since they would not have the same experience here [in the United States].”

Bradley, who also participated in the conference call, had recently been linked to job offers in Europe. Now that he will be back for a second cycle with the national team, there are questions of staleness. After all, he's already been around for four years. Will the players still be as responsive?

Bradley addressed staleness, in part, by citing Sir Alex Ferguson as a role model. “Obviously, it’s been noted at times where I’ve said I’ve been lucky to spend some time at Manchester United. And when I see someone like Sir Alex Ferguson, how he continues to know how to keep his environment fresh and sharp, I think that is what coaching is about. Your credibility is put to the test every day as a coach, regardless of whether you’ve been on the job four years or four days. I understand that. That’s part of the profession."

With the manager situation settled, Bradley can now focus on coaching the national team, while Sunil Gulati and the Federation can work on their securing a World Cup in the United States. FIFA's inspectors will arrive in America next week.

Asked about his vision for next four years, Bradley identified an experienced nucleus, the development of young players, and play against tough competition as keys to success. Although he wouldn't set a goal for the 2014 World Cup, but mentioned that success in tournaments such as the Gold Cup and Confederations Cup are imperative.

The next games for the national team consist of a friendlies against Poland on October 9 and versus Colombia on October 12. Both games will be played in the United States. Soccer fans should be open to a surprise or two, as Bradley stated that he is eyeing younger players.

"Every fixture date gets assessed: whether there are days of training leading into the game, who the opponent is, what the schedule is for players in MLS or abroad. We put all those things together and try to find the right time and place to introduce players into the national team."

Certainly the next fixture date in October gives us opportunities. There are players out there we have watched, and we do a thorough job of keeping track of players around the world as we go through games with the idea of looking for players who we believe can be moved into our program.”

Overall, it seems like the decision to extend Bradley's contract was a good one. Gulati recognized Bradley's rather remarkable achievements, primarily the United States' victory in the Gold Cup and reaching the final of the Confederations Cup. Who knows if Klinnsman could do a better job, with the risks being much higher. Bradley provides valuable stability, which might turn out to be just what the national team needs. I guess we'll have to wait and see in the next four years.

As a head coach in the NBA, one must be extremely aware of various statistics and facts. Evidently, Doc Rivers is not. In an interview with ESPN 980, Rivers forgot a key detail or two about his match-up against the Lakers in 2008. Here's what he had to say:

"They still have not beaten our starting five. Our starting five against the Lakers starting five has a ring...We will be back strong and Perk will be there next year if there's a game seven."

Rivers has clearly forgotten that Andrew Bynum did not play in the 2008 playoffs. You read that correctly: 0 minutes. In fact, in May 2008 Bynum underwent arthroscopic surgery on his kneecap. C'mon Doc, even a quick look at Wikipedia would have revealed that. Already Doc isn't looking too sharp. Since Bynum - the Lakers' starting center - was out, Rivers is factually incorrect in his assertion that his starting five "against the Lakers starting five has a ring."

In addition, Trevor Ariza was coming off an injury at the time and only averaged 6.63 minutes throughout the '08 Finals and didn't even play the first game. To elaborate:

• Game 1: Did not play
• Game 2: 0-1 from the field, 0 points, and 2 rebounds in 7:19 minutes of playing time
  
• Game 3: 2-3 from the field, 0-1 for three-pointers, 4 points, 1 rebound, and 1 assist in 8:49 minutes of playing time
• Game 4: 2-2 from the field, 1-1 on three-pointers, 1-2 on free throws, 6 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block in 8:43 minutes of playing time
• Game 5: 0 shot attempts, 0 points, 0 everything except for 1 foul in 1:15 minutes of playing time
• Game 6: 1-3 from the field, 1-2 on free throws, 0-1 for three-pointers, 3 points, 1 rebound in 9:04 minutes of playing time
  

Source: Yahoo! Sports

Basically Ariza, who was a starter last season and showed us he's capable of scoring with a 14.9 points per game average, was virtually nonexistent. In spite of Ariza's limited minutes, the Lakers assigned Vladimir Radmanovic to guard Paul Pierce, who would later win Finals MVP at the end of the series. Congrats, Paul, you managed to do well against a guy who Lakers coach Phil Jackson dubbed a "space cadet." In Pierce's defense, he also deserved an Academy award for his brilliant acting skills in, what is fair to assume, faking an injury then coming back to score 15 points in the third quarter.

On another note, as Trey Kerby of Yahoo! Sports pointed out,"the problem with saying that is that the average age for Boston's team is measured in tree rings. And there are a lot of tree rings on the inside of those old oaks. And when there are that many rings, injuries start happening." In other words, obviously when you have older players on your team, injuries are nearly inevitable.

There's no questioning Doc Rivers as a coach or as a person. From what one sees on T.V., he seems like an intelligent and gracious man. His comment, though, was downright arrogant - and extremely incorrect.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant and rapper Marshall Mathers, a.k.a Eminem, are two very different people, with the most glaring difference being their occupations. However, after listening to Eminem's tracks multiple times and keeping up with the Black Mamba, there are certain connections between Mathers' lyrics and Bryant's career. Above all, "Not Afraid" seems to best represent the Black Mamba's tenure in the Association.

Exhibit A: "Not Afraid"

• "Yeah, it's been a ride/I guess I had to go to that place to get to this one"

Kobe Bryant has been through a lot during his career. Initially he was known as Shaq's sidekick, the "second fiddle" of a three-peat dynasty. He then experienced tough transition, going from making the Finals one season to missing out on the playoffs the next year. Eventually, he worked his way up to becoming the best player in the league. In brief, Bryant's adversity and experience helped him reach where he is.

• "I don't give a damn/What you think, I'm doing this for me"

Bryant, especially in recent years, has disregarded the media and unnecessary side drama or hype to achieve his goal of winning championships. #24 has had plenty of labels placed on him and has received plenty of criticism, at least twice as much as anything LeBron James received until his decision. Yet, he continues to tune it all out. He's fine with the media's impression of him.

After the Lakers' loss to the Boston Celtics in the 2008 Finals, when former teammate Shaquille O'Neal rapped about how Bryant hadn't won a ring without the Big Fell, Bryant could have came back with a response. Instead, when pressed on the matter, he simply said "I didn't take it any kind of way whatsoever." In an article by Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, Bryant exemplifies the lyric best when he said "If I had to do it over again, I would’ve just let people talk and say what they had to say, and as time goes on, they would’ve seen what was what."

• "For better or worse/He's married to the game"

There's no doubt that Kobe Bryant has one of the best work ethics in sports history. He works on his game every day. Last offseason, fresh off winning a championship, Bryant was learning post moves from all-time great Hakeem Olajuwon. Among his many methods of training, Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Times notes 5 A.M. film study, playing through 235 games, and martial arts training. Just look at his workout schedule. Enough said.

• "His gift is a curse"

Sometimes, Bryant's determination, "his gift," can take the form of a double-edged sword. During many games, Bryant can just will the ball to the basket (i.e. 81 point game, 62 point game, etc.). Nevertheless, there are also games where Bryant's determination causes him to carry the Lakers and/or mess up the flow of the offense.

During those times, Bryant can become too selfish, which is particularly bad if his shots aren't going down. Lakers fans are familiar with these nights. These are the games when he has viewers thinking "OK, he's warming up." Pretty soon, it's the end of the game, he never really warmed up, and the result, in most cases, is a loss.

This was most evident during the 2005-2006 season when he averaged a whopping 35.6 points per game, but for a Lakers squad that didn't make it past the first round. The most recent example of Bryant's determination coming up short was Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics. After the game, Bryant proved to be a great example of Eminem's lyric when he remarked, "You know, I just wanted it so bad. I wanted it so, so bad....And the more I tried to push, the more it kept getting away from me."

• "You said you was king, you lied through your teeth/For that [expletive] your feelings, instead of getting crowned you're getting capped"

Perhaps this lyric would be more applicable if Bryant were in a feud with LeBron James, but the premise works nonetheless. "King James" is said to be the top dog in the NBA, many claiming that Bryant has "passed the torch." Instead, it's Bryant who has been "crowned" with the championships - not James.

• "This...black cloud still follows me around"

Unfortunately for him, Kobe Bryant has not enjoyed a relatively stress-free career. Kobe had many downers in the early 2000's, from being accused of sexual assault to a feud with mentor and teammate Karl Malone over things said to his wife, being referred to as "uncoachable" ironically by his current coach Phil Jackson, as well as being blamed by many for Shaq's departure in spite of their constant clashes. Those moments all contribute to Bryant's greater "black cloud." No matter how much time goes by, those events will always reside in the shadows of Bryant's career, with haters quick to label him as a "rapist" and/or "ball hog."

• "Haters can make like bees with no stingers, and drop dead"

To prove this, I refer you to Bryant's "Love me or hate me" campaign.

Exhibit B: "No Love"

• "It's a little too late to say that you're sorry now/You kicked me when I was down/[Screw] what you say/You ran me into the ground"
  

Obviously, this applies to Shaq's attempts to forgive and forget their feud. Jay Mariotti's piece for Fanhouse is the perfect application of this lyric. Many NBA fans will recall the All-Star game two seasons ago, when O'Neal was trying to make amends with Kobe, whom he had insulted in a rap gone mainstream only several months prior.

O'Neal has moved on, even tweeting after the Finals: "Congratualtions kobe, u deserve it. You played great . Enjoy it my man enjoy it. And I know what yur sayin rt now 'Shaq how my ass taste'"However, it's quite obvious that Bryant still isn't ready to receive Shaq's olive branch. After Game 7, when asked what the championship meant individually, Bryant replied: "I just got one more than Shaq...You guys know how I am, I don't forget anything."

• "These fools can't drool or dribble a drop anymore/And you can never break my stride/You never slow the momentum at any moment I'm about to blow/You'll never take my pride/Killing the flow, slow venom and the opponent/Is getting no mercy, mark my words/Ain't letting up, relentless"
  

Despite the recent injuries that have slowed Bryant down, when he's hot Kobe Bryant "ain't letting up." Some may argue that LeBron James is the best scorer in the game, but let's not kid ourselves. It was Bryant who once scored 81 points, the second-highest point total in NBA history. It was also Bryant who outscored an entire team through three quarters in his 62 point game. Additionally, Eminem's reference suits Bryant, nicknamed "The Black Mamba," a reference to an extremely deadly snake.

On defense, Bryant certainly doesn't "let up." He's a 10-time All-Defensive Team selection. Enough said.

Exhibit C: "Space Bound"

• "Nobody knows me, I’m cold, walk down this road all alone/It’s no one’s fault but my own. It’s the path I’ve chosen to go"

Kobe Bryant has not been a revealing figure when it comes to his interactions with the media. His "inner circle" has dwindled throughout the years and there are very few who actually know the guy. He has typically served the media with curt answers. At the end of the day, he's the one who has decided to keep mum - and it's worked out pretty well.

Exhibit D: "Crack a Bottle"

• "It disgusts me to see the game the way that it looks/It's a must, I redeem my name and haters get mushed"

Inside Bryant's head, he's thinking "How do they give so much attention to LeBron? To D-Wade? I am the best player."Some people might not realize, every day he strives to be the greatest player to ever play the game. With every championship, he proves more and more haters wrong. When he won the championship in 2009, he could finally say he led a championship team without O'Neal's assistance. Now that he's won another championship - left LeBron in the dust - he can continue to make a debate out of the "best player" argument. And, as well all know, Bryant has "one more than Shaq."

Just when many thought there no big moves left in the offseason, a four-team trade was made involving the Indiana Pacers, New Jersey Nets, Houston Rockets, and New Orleans Hornets. In the trade, Courtney Lee was dealt to Houston, Trevor Ariza will be a Hornet, the Nets got Troy Murphy, while Darren Collison and James Posey will be heading to Indianapolis.

Only a month after an inspiring run in the World Cup, the United States men's national team may recall what could have been when the team plays host to Brazil Tuesday at New Meadowlands Stadium, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Tomorrow's game, the first match since the World Cup for both teams, is set to begin at 5 PM Pacific Time and will be televised by ESPN2 and Univision.

The Los Angeles Galaxy could not hold on to a first half lead as Real Madrid rallied its way to a 3-2 victory Saturday night at the Rose Bowl in front of 89, 134 fans in attendance. The Galaxy, who began the game with their typical starters, scored two goals in the last five minutes of the first half against Real, who opened the game with a cast of mostly reserves.

The Los Angeles Galaxy will receive a test of sorts when the team hosts world-class Real Madrid at the Home Depot Center on Saturday night. Galaxy manager Bruce Arena and his squad will face Real's star-studded cast, coached by one of the best managers in the world, the recently hired Mourinho.

The exhibition comes at different times for the two teams. The Galaxy, along with other teams in the MLS, are in the middle of their season. In fact, the Galaxy traveled to play the Puerto Rico Islanders on Wednesday in a CONCACAF Champions League game. Prior to that game, the Galaxy also had played the Chicago Fire at home on Sunday.

In a phone interview on Thursday, when asked if the Galaxy's busy schedule would take a toll on the team's performance versus Real, ESPN analyst Alexi Lalas said, "The Galaxy and the players understand how to travel and regenerate physically and emotionally...It's part of being a professional athlete. It's not ideal in terms of traveling back across the country, but one thing you learn when you play in the United States is how to prepare to recover from the type of travel that exists in our league."

On the other hand, Real Madrid, like many European clubs, is still in the midst of its preseason training. However, Real also had a match on Wednesday, winning 3-2 against Club America, a Mexican soccer team, in an exhibition played in San Francisco. Make no mistake, though, this isn't entirely a vacation for the personnel. Throughout the past couple of weeks, the team has often been training twice a day at UCLA.

Asked whether the MLS teams have the advantage in these summer exhibitions, since the European clubs have not started their season yet, Lalas noted that is "not always the case."

"Maybe to a certain extent, but I think that sometimes in preseason, players play a little looser. Also, younger players...that more hungry, get the opportunity to show it. So it doesn't always work out where the team that is in season is always the better team. For the Galaxy to be playing against Real Madrid while they are in the middle of the season, maybe it's a little bit of an advantage."

Unfortunately, Real's Brazilian star, Kaka, will not participate in the game this Saturday after deciding to undergo surgery this week to repair a meniscus injury. Contrary to certain reports declaring that Kaka's injury could have ended his career, manager Mourinho believed otherwise.


Real Madrid's Christiano Ronaldo, above (Photo credits: itfilms.com)

"I cannot say this is a dramatic injury because dramatic injuries finish with the careers of players. This is not a dramatic injury," Mourinho reassured the media in a press conference on Friday.

Although many tend to focus more on the world-renown players in international exhibitions, Mourinho is quite a star himself. Having won practically every championship possible during his coaching career, Mourinho is widely regarded as one of the best, if not the best, manager in the world.

At the end of the day, though, fans are buying tickets to see the Real Madrid's stars on the pitch. With the exception of Kaka, that's exactly what they'll get. The roster include goalkeeper Iker Casillas, also in the net for the World Cup-winning Spanish national team; Christiano Ronaldo, one of the best soccer players in the world and perhaps the most marketed soccer player on the planet; Sergio Ramos, a top defender who plays alongside Casillas for "La Furia Roja"; and many more.

Real Madrid certainly has nothing to lose in the game, and, according to Lalas, actually gains several benefits by playing against the Galaxy.

"For Real Madrid, it's their preseason. They get the opportunity to play in front of a big crowd, spread their brand, and play against a good team in the Galaxy. If you're a coach, in preseason you want to challenge your players and not just go out and play against teams that you walk all over."

The Galaxy has several of its own players to boast, if not as highly. Landon Donovan, lauded as an American soccer hero for his late goal against Algeria in the World Cup, will be on the pitch. Another World Cup player, Edson Buddle, will also represent the Galaxy. Plus, the Galaxy's back line features Omar Gonzalez, recently called upon to replace defender Chad Marshall in the United States' friendly against Brazil on August 10.

Perhaps most notably for the Galaxy, the friendly will be the final game for Clint Mathis, a former United States national team player, who will retire after the match this weekend.

“I’ve always said I wanted to retire with the team I started, and that’s here with the Galaxy,” Mathis said after his final training session. “I was fortunate to come back here and that’s the first stadium that used to be our home stadium, the Rose Bowl."


Galaxy and former United States national team player, Clint Mathis (pictured above), will retire after Saturday's game

From the Galaxy's perspective, Saturday's friendly presents a great opportunity to play against a world-class side in Real Madrid. As Donovan said on a local radio show, the game has "significant meaning to it...Not many players get a chance to play against Real Madrid. It's a big massive club, one of the biggest clubs in the world."

These types of international exhibitions also tend to exemplify a certain amount of marketing, particularly for the foreign team. For example, at the MLS All-Star game, in which the MLS All-Stars lost to Machester United 5-2, there were plenty of fans wearing United's red jerseys among the sold-out crowd of over 70,000. Similar to the World Cup, international soccer competitions always seems to energize U.S. crowds - and have Americans reaching for their wallets. You can bet that the notable European clubs benefit financially every time they make a trip to the United States.

When pressed about whether the emphasis of the international exhibitions is on marketing or if the matches are, indeed, good for soccer, Lalas thought the latter.

"It's good for soccer to bring quality teams and to bring big stars but I think both the MLS teams and the international teams see benefits in terms of their brand. The Galaxy will get as much out of this game as Real Madrid will, in terms of the perception of their brand. I think it's advantageous to both teams, but there's certainly a marketing and a branding component to these games, and a financial component.

"Look , you know, Real Madrid's not playing for free. While it appears it was strictly about branding and money for these teams coming over, I think thankfully now they not only get the money that they need, but also the competition playing against MLS teams...the type of competition you want in a preseason."

The Galaxy are certainly familiar with international competition. Last summer they hosted other world famous clubs, falling to Barcelona in a 2-1 loss and a breaking even in a 2-2 draw versus AC Milan. Interestingly enough, during his tenure with Chelsea, Mourinho coached against the Galaxy in an international friendly on July 22, 2007. Mourinho and his squad won the game 1-0, defeating the Galaxy in David Beckham's debut.

At the time, Lalas was also general manager of the Galaxy. He recalled several things about the international match.

"You have to balance the different aspects of wanting to make sure that your team goes out and puts on a big game with the recognition that younger players...need to get time...I always looked at it as you're representing your club and it's an opportunity to send a message to your fans and to your market that you can play against big competition. You don't want to waste those opportunities because it all goes into the perception of your brand and, once again, the relevancy and credibility that you have within your market."

On paper, the game may just be a meaningless friendly. In reality, the Galaxy will have to shoulder the credibility of the MLS and demonstrate that the best of the MLS can compete with the best of Europe.

Shaquille O'Neal still has a job. "The Big [insert nickname here]" signed a two year, $3 million deal with the Boston Celtics on Wednesday. In the last few years, Celtics general manager Danny Ainge has done a great job of finding the right pieces to improve his team. However, with O'Neal there are always questions to be answered.

First of all, will he be able to lay low? It's no secret that O'Neal loves attention. At this point in his career, though, more often than not he will be on the bench. After all, with the exception of the 2004 Los Angeles Lakers team with O'Neal, Kobe Bryant Gary Payton, and Karl Malone, the current Celtics roster is the most star-studded O'Neal has played for. Whereas he was only overshadowed by LeBron James in Cleveland and by Steve Nash and A'mare Stoudemire in Phoenix, he will now have to take a backseat in the media to Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and probably even Ray Allen and Jermaine O'Neal.

If he can handle receiving less publicity than he's ever had to, O'Neal has already fulfilled a share of his duties.

Then there's the matter of how O'Neal will fit. After last season, it was clear that the Celtics needed more depth at the center position and O'Neal could be an asset as a second-string or third-string center. It will be particularly interesting to see how coach Doc Rivers juggles Shaquille O'Neal and Jermaine O'Neal in the rotation.

In addition to the two O'Neal's, both former All-Stars, the Celtics have two other centers in recent signing Semih Erden and veteran Kendrick Perkins. One shouldn't expect Erden to step on the hardwood too often, but Rivers has a tough task ahead of him in figuring out the rotation.

Perhaps Rivers will try playing them both throughout games, possibly creating a Twin Towers tandem similar to the Pau Gasol-Andrew Bynum duo that defeated the Celtics in Game 7 last season.

Another question on everyone's mind is, will he be able to stay healthy? In the past six seasons, O'Neal has missed 492 regular season games. In fact, just last year, he was out for 29 games. It's almost a sure bet that he will be injured at some point next season. Fortunately for the Celtics, they signed Jermaine O'Neal.



The main concern is how much O'Neal will be able to contribute. O'Neal impressed many in the playoffs last season with averages of 11.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in 22 minutes. Nothing too impressive, but definitely a key contribution - a contribution much more than anybody had expected.

At 38 years of age, though, many are skeptical of just how much fuel is left in "The Big Diesel." In his 19 seasons in the NBA, O'Neal has picked up quite a bit of mileage. Especially with the minutes he'll play, I cannot see O'Neal averaging more than 10 points and/or 5 rebounds.

Regardless, having won nearly every award and accolade possible, O'Neal is not worried about statistics, nor should he be. He was brought to help the Celtics in the paint and assist the team in their pursuit of another championship. At the end of the day, as long as he continues to be a force to reckon with, he has filled his job description.

Lastly, what will his nickname be? Throughout his career, O'Neal has had the most nicknames in NBA history, and possibly in all of sports. He has been called everything from "The Big Fella" to "The Big Diesel." During his tenure with the Phoenix Suns, he was dubbed the "The Big Cactus" and "The Big Shaqtus" while with the Cleveland Cavaliers, he was sometimes referred to as "The Big Witness" alongside LeBron James. At times, when O'Neal was in touch with his inner philosopher, he preferred to be nicknamed "The Big Aristotle."

Other nicknames include: "Shaq Fu," also the title of a video game he was featured in; "Dr. Shaq," a title he received after earning his MBA; and after making 12-12 free throws in two games , he proclaimed himself "Shaqovic," a play on the surnames of Serbian players (i.e. Sasha Vujacic, Vladamir Radmanovic, etc.), who tend to be good shooters.

Luckily, O'Neal's new fanbase will have a chance to advise him on a nickname. I can't wait to hear some of them.