"Jermaine O'Neal will be grabbing rebounds next year. The only question is if he'll be battling 7-footers as the Celtics center or if he'll be chasing down the errant shots of his 4-year-old son, Jermaine Jr.

O'Neal wasn't prepared to make a decision about his future immediately after the Celtics were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs by the Miami Heat on Wednesday. But O'Neal indicated the desire to spend more time with his family — he also has an 11-year-old daughter, Asjia — makes retirement a possibility.

"I have a little boy that's a sponge right now and he's looking for more and more time from me," O'Neal said. "Fifteen years (in the NBA), I'm 32 years old. That's half my life.

"The most important thing for me right now is my family and my kids. Basketball has dominated so much of my life for so long that I have to really take an honest look. Now, every time I leave the house my son is asking when I'm coming back. When I call home, it's, 'When am I coming back?' My daughter has been forgiving of it, but it may be time. I don't know. I don't want to suffer when I'm 45.""