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Jermaine O'Neal News & Rumors

O'Neal suffers bone bruise ... and is relieved
February 6
ESPN.com
 
"Celtics center Jermaine O'Neal said he underwent an MRI Saturday in fear of a possible meniscus tear, but breathed a sigh of relief when tests revealed merely a bone bruise. O'Neal played in Sunday's win over the Grizzlies, chipping in four points, seven rebounds, and two blocked shots over 25 minutes, 20 seconds of action. "[The MRI] actually turned out pretty good," said O'Neal. "I still have a bone bruise, [but] I was pretty pleased with that because we were little nervous it was [a meniscus tear]. I told you guys, we're never going to be healthy. Things are going to come up and you just have to come out and give what you can give. That's what I try to do.""
O'Neal misses practice; could play Sunday
February 5
Boston Globe
 
"Celtics' center Jermaine O'Neal missed practice Saturday to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging on his right knee. According to coach Doc Rivers, the MRI had been scheduled before the Celtics' 91-89 win over New York Friday. Rivers said O'Neal will likely be available for Sunday's game against Memphis."
Jermaine O'Neal on defensive
January 17
Boston Herald
 
"Jermaine O'Neal followed up an 0-for-6 performance in Indianapolis on Saturday night with a more representative 12-point, 11-rebound double-double last night. But the Celtics center said he's tired of talking about offense. Contrary to public perception, O'Neal said, scoring isn't why he's here. "There's a lot of misconception, a lot of debate from people who supposedly analyze the game," he said after the Celtics' 97-88 loss to the Thunder. "You have to know what position the team has players in. The fact of the matter is that (coach) Doc (Rivers) has given each of us a role, so all of this debate about what I score — I probably won't even answer that after this time. For all of you"
Celtics plays it safe, sits hamstrung O'Neal
January 3
Boston Herald
 
"Jermaine O'Neal's fragile history considered, it's a given the Celtics center will need down time. But in what coach Doc Rivers described as purely a precautionary move, O'Neal was held out of his first game of the season last night against the Wizards because of a sore hamstring. O'Neal suffered the injury during Sunday's game in Washington."
Bigger impact means better days
December 31
Boston Globe
 
"Technically, First Night is tonight, but you can't blame the Celtics if they thought they rang in a new year last night. The return of NBA basketball to Boston felt like a brand-new start, separate from those three deflating losses in New York, Miami, and New Orleans. It was the first night that the Celtics had their core, the first night Paul Pierce suited up, the first night center Jermaine O'Neal showed up, and the first night the Celtics won. The Detroit Pistons were exactly what coach Doc Rivers ordered for the Celtics, who rolled disjointed Detroit, 96-85, at TD Garden, avoiding their first 0-4 start since 1969-70. Good luck to former Celtics assistant Lawrence Frank; he has his work"
O'Neal answers critics
December 31
Boston Herald
 
"Jermaine O'Neal doesn't read the paper or listen to sports radio, so he claimed to be unaware of his status as the Celtics whipping boy as the team limped to an 0-3 start. But the 16-year veteran has been around long enough to understand that negativity is a staple of the NBA. He knew that pundits would be taking shots at him after he totaled more fouls (13) than points (eight) in the first three games. O'Neal answered his critics last night, leading the Celtics with 19 points and seven rebounds in a 96-85 win over the Pistons at the Garden. After the resurgent performance, O'Neal provided a passionate response to his doubters. "It's easy for people to sit behind the table or sit behind"
O'Neal ready for anything
December 11
Boston Herald
 
"Jermaine O'Neal is too old to let trade rumors rattle him, even if the Celtics' on-again, off-again role in a sign-and-trade deal for New Orleans forward David West continued to bob above the surface of the NBA market. O'Neal, who has discussed the possibility of being traded with president Danny Ainge and coach Doc Rivers, approaches the matter with a veteran's world weariness. But if he's traded to a losing team like the Hornets, the 33-year-old center made it clear that he'll probably retire. "There are really only two scenarios — either I play here or go to a contender, or I stop playing," O'Neal said after yesterday's practice."
Jermaine O'Neal healthy, hungry to help
December 9
Boston Herald
 
"Jermaine O'Neal worked out in a number of cities during this prolonged offseason, and it seems appropriate that Las Vegas was among them. It seems the 33-year-old Celtics center has very much grasped the concept of all-in. O'Neal considered retiring after last season. He was coming back from February knee surgery and looking toward an operation on his left (shooting) wrist. But he decided to delay the procedure until his playing days are through. "I'd have been done," said O'Neal after a workout at the Celtics facility yesterday. "If I'd have had surgery, I wouldn't have played again because basically it was going to take six months to heal. That means no training, no strength training,"
Shaq can loom large as TV analyst on TNT
July 16
Orlando Sentinel
 columnist George Diaz
"Dear consumer: Please go to best Buy or Costco or some other place that sells electronics and compare prices on the biggest flat-screen, high-def TVs for sale. You're going to need a humongous one once the NBA opens its doors again. Your TV is going to have to make room for two giants of glib, almost 14 feet of egos compressed into the big screen. Meet your starting lineup for the new "Inside the NBA," TNT crew, which now pairs Shaquille O'Neal with Charles Barkley. This will go down one of two ways: marketing magic, or marketing mayhem. If Shaq cuts down on his occasional stumbles and mumbles with nouns, verbs and adjectives, we've got a winner. Period, exclamation mark! Barkley is"
Surgery not Jermaine to this wrist injury
June 23
Boston Herald
 
"Few players deliberate more over the pros and cons of surgery than Jermaine O'Neal, who after undergoing knee surgery last January has decided to take a more holistic approach with the torn ligament in his left wrist. O'Neal, who went through the playoffs with the wrist injury, has decided to forgo surgery in favor of rehabilitation, according to Danny Ainge. The Celtics president said yesterday that O'Neal, attempting to take advantage of the team's resources before players are locked out on July 1, has been a regular at the workout facility in Waltham. "He has every intention of coming back," Ainge said of the only true center on his team's roster. "He has every desire to play, and"
Shaq expects Dwight Howard to win "three or four championships"
June 4
Orlando Sentinel
 
"Shaquille O'Neal has some pretty high expectations for Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic. At his retirement press conference in Windermere, O'Neal said Howard is the only dominant center in the NBA and the Magic are "one or two pieces" away from winning a championship. "There's only really one dominant big man left, and that's Dwight Howard," O'Neal said. "I expect him to win three or four championships. If he doesn't win three or four championships, I'll be disappointed." O'Neal's kind words came after he gave a slight nudge to Howard during his opening statements. While announcing his new nickname, O'Neal laid claim to Howard's current nickname, calling himself the "one and only""
O'Neal needs surgery
May 14
Boston Globe
 
"Jermaine O'Neal played much of the playoffs with a fractured left wrist that will require surgery, president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said yesterday. O'Neal tore cartilage in the wrist in a preseason game against the Raptors, then wore a brace when he was on the floor. He aggravated the injury in Game 2 of the Knicks series while taking a charge from Amar'e Stoudemire. "Jermaine endured a lot this year,'' Ainge said. "Jermaine needs some pretty serious surgery on his left wrist. Jermaine is lefthanded and most people don't know this. He dunks and finishes and drives and everything with his left hand. He blocked shots and was still able to do that with his left hand, but the"
Jermaine O'Neal in need of wrist surgery
May 14
Boston Herald
 
"When Jermaine O'Neal landed on his left wrist after taking a charge in the first game of the postseason against the Knicks, the center later described the injury as "a minor tear." Not quite, as it turned out. Celtics general manager Danny Ainge said yesterday O'Neal, who actually played with a fracture the rest of the way, will need offseason wrist surgery. "He needs some serious surgery on his left wrist," Ainge said during yesterday's session with the media. "He's left-handed. He dunks and finishes and drives with his left hand. He blocks shots. But after the first game of the playoffs his left wrist was fractured, and he needs surgery. There will be pins put in his wrist. Our guys"
Jermaine O'Neal's future choice a family affair
May 13
Boston Herald
 
"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"
Spoelstra: No hard feelings, JO
May 8
Boston Herald
 
"Erik Spoelstra coached Jermaine O'Neal for 108 games, including playoffs. The two had their ups and downs together, and the Heat ultimately placed a value on O'Neal that didn't work with the latter's opinion or desire for a quicker resolution when he became a free agent last summer. But in that he still had games to play against O'Neal, Spoelstra was understandably interested only in delivering the positive side of the ledger when asked about the situation. (There was no mention of O'Neal shooting 9-for-44 in a five-game, first-round loss to the Celtics last year when the center was slowed by injury.) "We valued what Jermaine brought for two years to us," Spoelstra said last night before"
Jermaine O'Neal shies away from juicy sound bite
April 28
Boston Herald
 
"We've just had another conversation with Jermaine O'Neal about his departure from the Heat, and we still cannot decide. Is he taking the high road, or has he veered off onto the illusionary interstate? He continues to insist that Miami really wanted him back this season, and he therefore harbors no ill feelings toward his year-and-a-half home. But Miami sources still indicate that O'Neal was not a primary concern when the club went through its starry upgrade last summer. After signing LeBron James and Chris Bosh, the Heat focused on free agent Mike Miller. Then some money was freed up so Udonis Haslem could get paid. Near the end of the process, the team might get to O'Neal, if he was"
Jermaine O'Neal does part
April 25
Boston Herald
 
"The offense, as always, is a secondary requirement for Jermaine O'Neal. His sole basket yesterday was a postscript, compared to his six rebounds and a block. Overall, the Celtics center — who steadily worked up to speed after knee surgery — averaged 1.5 blocks and 3.5 rebounds in roughly 19 minutes per game in four against the Knicks. "I'm enjoying this because it's been a rough year," O'Neal said after yesterday's series-clinching 101-89 win. "It's been a rough year for me personally, and it was good to get out there and feel comfortable late in games. It may not always show up on the stat sheet, but I feel that I can really help this team on the defensive end. I can make guys guess when"
Shaq at shootaround, JO's fine
April 22
ESPN.com
 
"Celtics coach Doc Rivers remained hesitant to offer a firm timeline on when ailing center Shaquille O'Neal might return to game action, but reiterated that he's moving closer to that goal by traveling with the team. "I don't know the plan yet," said Rivers. "He's moving better. The fact that he's moving better, you just bring him on the road." Pressed on what he'd need to see from O'Neal to have confidence to put him back on the court, Rivers quipped: "Make some 3's," before turning more serious."
O'Neal germane to outcome
April 18
Boston Globe
 
"He wasn't the O'Neal everyone cared about leading up to last night's first-round opener against the Knicks at TD Garden. The Celtic with 12 points, four blocks, and a game-tying basket with 73 seconds left in regulation made so much of a difference that coach Doc Rivers said "we won the game'' because of him. Jermaine O'Neal may have been one of the last players expected to make such a difference against New York, but he had a lot to do with Boston's 87-85 victory."
Jermaine O'Neal fills big role
April 18
Boston Herald
 
"There were many times this season when it seemed unlikely Jermaine O'Neal would ever contribute. Dogged by knee injuries since training camp, O'Neal missed 58 games. He was an afterthought in the Celtics' postseason plans as recently as last month, when he spent three weeks rehabilitating in Chicago with renowned basketball trainer Tim Grover. Though most outsiders didn't expect O'Neal back, he never lost faith. "I think when you have doubt you never get where you're supposed to be," said O'Neal, who underwent surgery on his left knee in February. "If you challenge yourself and you can't get to that goal, then you have to be honest with yourself and just say, 'I gave it my all, but it"
'Other' O'Neal Jermaine man in Celtics' victory
April 18
New York Post
 
"Ray Allen made the last shot. Paul Pierce made the pass for that final shot. But in the estimation of Celtics coach Doc Rivers, the hero of Game 1 against the Knicks last night was the guy who changed the game and impacted the game all game long. "We won the game because of Jermaine O'Neal," Rivers concluded after the Celtics pulled out a thrilling 87-85 Game 1 victory over the Knicks. "Forget his offense. His defense, his presence, his shot-blocking, his rebounding, his toughness. And he did it in both halves. He was absolutely wonderful." But nowhere was Jermaine -- the "other" O'Neal, because Shaquille is waylaid by a calf injury -- more effective than in the third quarter. After the"
Jermaine O'Neal needs to 'D'-liver
April 17
Boston Herald
 
"Plan B, the one with Jermaine O'Neal at starting center, went into effect yesterday. Shaquille O'Neal limped off the floor only five minutes into his morning test run, and his namesake's return from left knee surgery became the day's only relevant comeback story. Paint defense has become a major Celtics concern, and a healthy Jermaine O'Neal just might be the player best equipped to address the problem. Some of Paul Pierce's first playoff experiences came against O'Neal's Pacers. The Celtics captain knows what O'Neal, when healthy, can provide. "He definitely can be a guy who can block shots and guard his man one-on-one in the post," Pierce said. "He does so many things when he's right."
The healthier choice: Jermaine, Not Shaquille O'Neal likely to get start
April 16
Boston Globe
 
"He isn't necessarily the O'Neal everyone's worrying about, but Jermaine O'Neal is the one that the Celtics will likely go with to start the postseason. It's barely been two weeks since O'Neal returned after missing more than two months recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery. While he was gone, the Celtics traded starting center Kendrick Perkins to Oklahoma City, essentially betting that either Jermaine or Shaquille O'Neal would be healthy by the postseason. Jermaine O'Neal played seven of the Celtics' last nine games leading up to the playoffs. Shaquille O'Neal is still a question mark for Game 1 tomorrow. Whether he's available or not, Jermaine O'Neal said his approach won't waver. "My"
O'Neal enjoys a fresh start
April 6
Boston Globe
 
"It didn't happen exactly how Celtics coach Doc Rivers drew it up, but Jermaine O'Neal is the team's starting center, just the way Rivers projected it back in training camp. O'Neal scored 9 points in the Celtics' 99-82 win over the 76ers last night at TD Garden, knocking down 4 of 6 shots in his seventh start of the season. O'Neal, recently back after being out two months recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery, took advantage of being on the floor with four All-Stars, but for the most part he was just trying to take instructions from them. With the action around him a blur, they called out plays and yelled to tell him the spots he needed to be in."
Health is front, center
April 4
Boston Globe
 
"Jermaine and Shaquille O'Neal were healthy enough to play a combined 23 minutes in the Celtics' 101-90 win over Detroit last night, but only four minutes came in the second half, a sign of their fragility. Shaquille logged 5:29 before leaving with a strained right calf. Jermaine was willing to go beyond the 17:40 he played, but the Celtics do not want to push him — yet. "We have to have one of the [O'Neals],'' coach Doc Rivers said. "I'll take two, but we have to have one.''"
Jermaine O'Neal's feeling good
April 1
Boston Herald
 
"Jermaine O'Neal's return was more than anyone, including the Celtics center, bargained for. O'Neal returned from arthroscopic knee surgery for his first game since Jan. 10 in last night's 107-97 win against the Spurs, and made both of his shots in 11 minutes — including a big three-point play early in the third quarter. He may be receiving more time than he bargained for, too. Nenad Krstic, who left the game for good with a right knee injury in the third quarter, won't play tonight in Atlanta. He'll have an MRI tomorrow when the team returns to Boston. "He played well," coach Doc Rivers said of O'Neal. "That three-point play was huge. I was just happy to see him defensively moving very"
Celtics getting big boost
March 31
Boston Globe
 
"He was honest about it. Jermaine O'Neal has been out so long that he couldn't remember the last time he practiced. "I couldn't even remember the last time I got on the team bus,'' he said with a smile yesterday. The last time he played a game for the Celtics was Jan. 12, more than two months ago. He has been rehabbing after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee and has been sidelined for 55 of the Celtics' 73 games this season."
Practice fuels Jermaine O'Neal
March 31
Boston Herald
 
"Never mind that Jermaine O'Neal can't remember his last practice. "Funny, I couldn't even remember the last time I got on the bus or the team plane," O'Neal, who hasn't played in a game since Jan. 10 and had arthroscopic knee surgery on Feb. 4, said after yesterday's run with the Celtics. "It all felt good. It felt new. This has been the hardest year of my career. But it would be the best year of my career if we win the championship." And if O'Neal's performance in yesterday's practice is any indication, he'll be of more immediate help to this struggling team than anyone anticipated. The center should, for instance, make at least a brief appearance in tonight's game against the Spurs. "I'm"
Jermaine O'Neal near return
March 29
Boston Globe
 
"After having arthroscopic surgery on his left knee and sitting out more than two months, Jermaine O'Neal rejoined the Celtics yesterday in Indiana — a short flight from where he had been training in Chicago — and said he would be ready to play as soon as Thursday in San Antonio, though coach Doc Rivers wouldn't commit to that plan. "I'm able to go,'' O'Neal said. "No limitations.'' Rivers said, "I think Jermaine has his own personal time clock. We'll see. I hope, that would be great.''"
Jermaine O'Neal's return on schedule
March 24
Boston Herald
 
"Jermaine O'Neal's recovery from knee surgery has taken a big step, according to Danny Ainge. The Celtics president of basketball operations watched his recuperating center work out in Chicago yesterday morning, and later said that O'Neal's return to the team appears to be on schedule. "It could be next week, which is about what we hoped for — the end of the month," Ainge said before last night's 90-87 loss to the Grizzlies. "He looks good. I watched him go through his workouts." The most encouraging news, according to Ainge, is that O'Neal has been able to work out for approximately three weeks without swelling. In addition to working out with a trainer, the center has been playing"
Return of O'Neals? Uncertainty times two
March 17
Boston Globe
 
"With each passing day, it seems Celtics coach Doc Rivers is becoming more and more resigned to the idea that there is no clear return date for Jermaine O'Neal and Shaquille O'Neal, only small signs that the two will return before season's end. Shaquille began shooting yesterday for the first time since going down with an inflamed right Achilles' tendon Feb. 4. He has missed 18 games. The Celtics had expected him back in the lineup after the All-Star break, but the date was continually pushed back. "I don't even know what the time frame is,'' Rivers said. "But the fact that he's on the floor means sooner than later, I hope.''"
Shaq likely to miss one or two more weeks; J.O. still three or four weeks away
March 1
Boston Globe
 (scroll down)
"Center Shaquille O'Neal is likely to miss one to two more weeks because of an inflamed Achilles' tendon, and center Jermaine O'Neal is likely out another three to four weeks after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery in January. "We have every reason to believe and continue to believe that Shaq and J.O. will be healthy,'' president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said. After trading Kendrick Perkins and Semih Erden, the only true center on the roster is Nenad Krstic."
Still finding themselves short on big men
January 25
Boston Globe
 
"The Celtics continue to play shorthanded when it comes to big men. Shaquille O'Neal (hip flexor) will miss the game against the Cavaliers tonight at TD Garden and his status for the team's visit to Portland Thursday has not been determined. Jermaine O'Neal (knee) remains out and Kendrick Perkins (knee surgery), who participated fully in yesterday's light practice, is not ready to return. That means Semih Erden likely will make his sixth start of the season at center. Shaquille O'Neal was injured in the first quarter Friday night against Utah and missed the Celtics' 85-83 loss at Washington Saturday night, the team's first defeat in five games with Erden starting."
No knife for Jermaine O'Neal
January 20
Boston Herald
 
"Jermaine O'Neal has decided to delay surgery on his left knee until the offseason, though the Celtics center still is expected to miss a month before his next game. The procedure, described last night by Danny Ainge as a "cleaning out" to ease the pain caused by bone-on-bone friction in the knee, would have kept O'Neal out approximately eight weeks. As Doc Rivers already has noted, that would have rendered O'Neal virtually useless for the playoffs. "The purpose is to get him ready to play in late-season and postseason play, with no restrictions," Ainge said of what he hopes will be the result of resting O'Neal for the next four weeks. "The purpose is to get him back 100 percent." O'Neal"
Plan for O'Neal hits snow delay
January 19
Boston Globe
 
"Jermaine O'Neal went to New York yesterday to get a second opinion on his swollen left knee, but because of weather conditions, he hadn't made it back to discuss his options with Celtics president Danny Ainge and coach Doc Rivers. O'Neal, who has missed 24 games, is considering surgery. The decision hinges on how long the procedure would keep him out and whether he'd be better off playing through the swelling. Ainge said he and Rivers would likely sit down with O'Neal today to go over the next steps."
Jermaine O'Neal, Doc Rivers brace for long-term loss
January 15
Boston Herald
 
"Center Jermaine O'Neal said last night he plans to visit a doctor in New York for a second opinion on his painful left knee Monday and will choose whether or not to have surgery by Tuesday. The decision won't come easily. O'Neal said that as recently as yesterday afternoon he considered playing last night against the Bobcats at the Garden, a 99-94 Celts win. But the C's have said he needs surgery — O'Neal won't get specific on the actual procedure — and that he likely would be out until the playoffs if it happens. In coach Doc Rivers' opinion, an April return could mean the end of O'Neal's spot in the rotation, especially once the playoffs begin. "Surgery could mean not playing again, and"
Jermaine O'Neal's knee flares up again, sits out game against Kings
January 13
Boston Globe
 
"For the second time in a week, Jermaine O'Neal's surgically repaired left knee swelled up, this time forcing the Celtics center to sit out last night's game against the Kings at TD Garden. It was the 21st missed game of the season for O'Neal, his first since returning to the lineup Christmas Day against the Magic. After dealing with swelling during a loss in Dallas Nov. 8, O'Neal sat out for six weeks. In 10 games since returning to the lineup, and with little practice time, O'Neal had played well. But he had to leave last Friday's win over Raptors, calling it a "precautionary'' measure. Coach Doc Rivers said he didn't know whether O'Neal would ultimately require surgery."
Jermaine O'Neal, Celtics won't complain
January 2
Boston Herald
 
"The Celtics are in their worst stretch of the season, and now's not the time to start fretting about reasons, according to one of the newest hands on deck. "I wouldn't say we're angry," Jermaine O'Neal said of the fact the Celts have lost three of their last four games. "Angry is when you're mad and you don't necessarily know what is happening. "We know what is happening. We're not putting together a full game. Our issue in the Orlando game was not closing that game against a very good team. We got away with it in Indiana, and we didn't against Detroit or New Orleans. Teams with very good players are going to put you in that position." Just as teams lacking their best players are going to"
Celtics: Health means happiness
December 31
Boston Herald
 
"The Celtics are in a rather odd position as 2010 comes to a close. They own the best record in the Eastern Conference, yet in many ways things couldn't be worse. When Kevin Garnett went down in the first quarter of Wednesday's loss in Detroit, the Celts were without three starters. But if their defensive anchor can get through this leg issue, there is every reason for the Shamrocks to be optimistic about 2011. That they have managed to get through the first 30 games of their new season so well speaks to their vastly improved depth. The Celtics have been dogged by injuries from the start, not yet having the rotation they hope will take them to the 18th championship in franchise history."
Onus is on O'Neals
December 30
Boston Globe
 
"As Kevin Garnett screamed in frustration, limping on the leg that he has so feverishly tried to revive over the past 18 months, the pain in his voice, the sweat mixed with tears, should have been a message to those healthy big men who have spent this season on the inactive list. Jermaine O'Neal and Shaquille O'Neal will have to compensate for Garnett, who sustained a muscle injury near the right calf and will undergo an MRI today in Boston. While coach Doc Rivers said he is "not that concerned,'' the injury could cost Garnett a few games, or even a few weeks, given the cautious nature of the organization regarding injuries."
Jermaine O'Neal fights off brawl recall
December 30
Boston Herald
 
"Jermaine O'Neal insists he doesn't think much about Nov.? 19, 2004, anymore. But he is well aware that the brawl here in The Palace on that date has had a lingering effect on the Pacers and many of the players involved. "I don't really think about it anymore," O'Neal said of the fight that became ugly when fans became involved. "It took a couple of years. It's kind of an afterthought now. When you're involved in something like that, you just want to put it behind you. "Once we had the closure with the court cases, then it became an afterthought because there was nothing else you had to deal with anymore. You deal with it for so long, then when it's time to move on you move on. It's like"
Shaquille O'Neal's day short, but career may go longer than expected
December 26
Boston Herald
 
"Shaquille O'Neal is averaging modest numbers for the Celtics. He came into yesterday's affair giving them 11.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 22.3 minutes a game. It's not the kind of stuff that has him on the first train to Springfield, but, for the Celtics, it may well be the nudge that gets them to an 18th championship. That has been reasonably visible in this two-month-old season, but it was even more glaring yesterday when O'Neal, who hinted he may prolong his career, fouled out in just 12:39 in an 86-78 loss to Orlando. It was bad enough that he produced just two points and one rebound, but, maybe more than the stats, the Celts missed his presence. They survived defensively, holding the"
Rivers aching for full squad
December 24
Boston Globe
 
"A third of the way through the season, Celtics coach Doc Rivers would like to say he has a read on his team, but aside from the record (23-4) and the winning streak (14 games), it's hard to gauge because of all the injuries. "I don't know, because we don't have our team, really,'' Rivers said. "Record-wise, we're great, but as far as getting better and progressing as a team, for a coach, that's my concern. We're winning games. We're not improving a lot because we don't have enough guys right now.'' The Celtics started to peak after an embarrassing loss Nov. 21 in Toronto, going to Atlanta the next night and blowing out the Hawks by 23, and winning every game since. But those wins have come"
Jermaine O'Neal practices, may go tonight
December 22
Boston Herald
 
"Jermaine O'Neal won't know until this morning — perhaps not until gametime tonight against Philadelphia — if he is ready to play for the first time in 18 games. But the Celtics backup center got what he sorely needed yesterday, a practice with contact, banging against Shaquille O'Neal and Kevin Garnett. Both players struggled to get off shots against the other O'Neal — in Garnett's case a 20-foot airball. That much he can contribute right now. "I can alter some shots and get some rebounds," he said after the open practice, held in front of a group of sponsors. "(Defense is) something you don't need chemistry or rhythm for. That's something Doc (Rivers) is expecting from me. I'm looking"
Kendrick Perkins, Jermaine O'Neal participate in practice
December 22
Boston Globe
 
"While some Celtics did not engage in full contact, the fact that they had a full complement of front-court players for yesterday's practice was noteworthy. It was the first time this season the team had all its bigs on the court. There was Shaquille O'Neal, sore right calf and all, fresh from his stint as guest conductor of the Boston Pops Monday night. There was Semih Erden, who has been nursing a sore groin. And, of course, there were the stalwarts: Glen Davis and Kevin Garnett, each of whom has played in all 26 games this season. But what was most noticeable was the fact Kendrick Perkins and Jermaine O'Neal also took part in the session."
O'Neal would like to retire as a Pacer
December 20
Indianapolis Star
 
"Once he hangs up his sneakers for good, which could happen next summer, Boston Celtics forward Jermaine O'Neal wants to retire with the team that helped him become an All-Star. O'Neal, who is out with a knee injury, said he wants to retire as an Indiana Pacer. "Just because I'm not there anymore doesn't mean all the memories are forgotten," O'Neal said. "If it wasn't for the Pacers, the organization and the community, nobody would have probably known who I was. Anywhere in the world I go, they know me because of my Pacers days." O'Neal spent eight seasons with the Pacers, during which he averaged 18.6 points and 9.6 rebounds. He played in five All-Star games and finished third in the MVP"
Jermaine O'Neal braced for return to action
December 19
Boston Herald
 
"Jermaine O'Neal ran through his first practice in more than a month yesterday, and later said his return to the lineup may be sooner than people think. Asked about Doc Rivers' comments earlier this week that he may not have the luxury of much practice before returning to action, O'Neal agreed to a point. Today's game against the Pacers, however, is out of the question. "Today was pretty good," said O'Neal, who missed the last 16 games with a sore left knee. "I want one or two practices to gauge where I am, and today was one. If I can get another practice in before Wednesday's game (against Philadelphia), then I can keep seeing what I need to do. "I've been out for a while, and I don't want"
Celtics' injury problems a familiar blast from the past
November 28
Boston Globe
 
"When the credits finally rolled on the small soap opera that was Doc Rivers's offseason decision to return as Celtics coach, he was faced with tending to business. One of the team's top priorities was adding reinforcements. If last season taught Rivers anything, it was that the Celtics need as many bodies as possible to get through the regular season. At one point or another, every member of the starting five went down with an injury; backups became starters, intended rotations became pipe dreams. The Celtics managed to win 50 games even though they essentially rested key players in the final weeks of the season. This season is only a month old, and they're finding themselves in the same"
Injury bug hits Jermaine O'Neal again
November 17
Boston Herald
 
"Jermaine O'Neal, glum over a familiar predicament - injury-related inactivity - remained in the trainer's room receiving treatment for his swollen left knee during yesterday's practice. It's a routine that the Celtics forward knows by rote. He's never played a full 82-game schedule in 14 seasons, once (2000-01) played in 81 regular-season games, and only played in 70 or more six times. Though O'Neal was hobbled by an ankle sprain by the time he went up against the Celtics for Miami during the first round of last season's playoffs, the 2009-10 campaign was actually considered something of a renaissance. The 70-game season was his healthiest since he appeared in 78 for the Indiana Pacers in"