The Celtics have signed Delonte West to a contract, according to team president Danny Ainge, who would not reveal whether it is a guaranteed deal or training camp invitation.

West, 27, a troubled but talented swingman, gives the Celtics another proven entity as they vie for another championship run. Because of gun charges in Maryland, West will miss the first 10 games of the regular season, meaning he will not be available for the Celtics until Nov. 17 against the Washington Wizards.

Ainge has long been an admirer of West and regretted trading him to Seattle in 2007 in the Ray Allen deal. West played his best basketball in Boston, averaging 12.2 points and 4.4 assists in 69 games in 2006-07 but to match salaries, Ainge had to throw West in with Wally Szczerbiak to acquire Allen.

West was dealt to Cleveland in February 2008 and he played 2 1/2 seasons with Cleveland, the last plagued by the gun charges, in which he was arrested for carrying three guns and a bowie knife while speeding on a three-wheel motorcycle in suburban Washington D.C. He pleaded guilty to weapons charges and received home detention that would allow him to travel with his NBA team.

"Delonte has been one of my favorite players that I enjoyed watching in my time here with the Celtics," Ainge told the Globe. "He is a competitor and we're all aware (of his issues) and we've done a lot of checks and had a lot of conversation with Delonte and his people and we obviously have a long history with Delonte also and we think he can help us win."

The Celtics already have 14 guaranteed contracts and it's unlikely they would add a 15th with West, who received $500,000 from a buyout from the Minnesota Timberwolves, who acquired him in July from Cleveland. West is expected to sign a make-good contract that would be guaranteed if he remains on the roster by January.

"It was difficult when we traded Delonte," Ainge said. "It wasn't easy. We liked him. He was well-received by our fans, by our coaches and well-received by our teammates because he's a guy who gives all he's got every night. Delonte's had some challenges off the court and I feel that right now that some of those challenges have given him some pretty serious wake-up calls. I think he's actually in a better place today than when he left us a few years ago."

Atlanta Hawks guard and reigning Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford had little to say about this upcoming season and the possibility of playing out the final year of his contract in Atlanta when interviewed by the Globe this weekend from his summer basketball tournament in Seattle.

Crawford, whose scoring skills helped the Hawks beat the Celtics four times last season and reach the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, is entering the final year of a seven-year, $55.4 million deal he signed with the Knicks in 2004. (Crawford is pictured right defending Ray Allen).

According to sources, Crawford's agent, Aaron Goodwin, will meet with Hawks general manager Rick Sund this week to discuss Crawford's future in Atlanta. With the Hawks having signed Joe Johnson to a maximum deal in July, Crawford is the lone core Hawks player not signed beyond this season.

With the uncertainty of a potential new collective bargaining agreement, Crawford appears to be seeking the security of a long-term contract and wants the Hawks to act. But he wouldn't comment on even playing for the Hawks in 2010-11.

"I don't want to talk about next season," he said.

Crawford, 30, did address last season and how much he enjoyed his first season in Atlanta. He made the first playoff appearance of his 10-year NBA career.

"That was a lot fun," he said. "I was a little nervous to go out there at first but once I got the hang of it, I said, 'Oh it's still basketball, just more white towels going in the stands, more energy.' I had fun going through it."

Crawford averaged 18 points, 3 assists and 2.5 rebounds in 79 games off the bench for the Hawks. In four games against Boston, he burned the Celtics for 20 points, 4 assists and 46 percent shooting.

"It make me feel really good because I feel like you never get your just due until you are on a winning team," he said. "That's what happened this year. That was a lot of fun because I understood I was going to be a sixth man coming to a good team but I sacrificed whatever it took. I wanted to win above everything else."

While Crawford refused to address the possibility of playing for Atlanta next season, he expressed his satisfaction with the team's success and chemistry last season.

"I think we're probably the second-loosest team to Cleveland and guys supported each other," he said. "Guys pulled for each other and it was just about winning and that's why we had such a great season."

The season didn't end on such a great note, with a four games to none elimination at the hands of the Orlando Magic and the eventual dismissal of coach Mike Woodson, whose contract was not renewed.

"I feel like he improved the team every year he was there," Crawford said of Woodson. "And unfortunately when you lose the way we did, something is going to happen. You don't know if it's going to be a player being traded or coach being fired. But I had no problem with him at all. You know we got along great. And he put the ball in my hands a lot last year. But I feel like coach (Larry) Drew would do a good job as well."

Whether Crawford plays under Drew remains to be seen. When asked if he was prepared to potentially leave Atlanta for a fifth NBA team, he said, "All I wanted to do growing up is be in the NBA. If I am in the NBA, I am fine. I feel like I have a lot of basketball left. I can play at a high level for a long time. The best is yet to come for me."

At the time Ron Artest obviously in another world, so he probably didn't hear Doc Rivers immediately following the Lakers' Game 7 Finals win over the Celtics, when Rivers made special effort to point out that the Lakers still hadn't beaten the Celtics' starting five (Kendrick Perkins was sidelined with an ACL injury) .

In recent days, Rivers made the rounds and in an interview with John Thompson on ESPN 980 he said it again. Word apparently worked its way to Artest, who two months after the Finals appears to have come down enough to take Rivers' comments as fighting words.

Artest, of course, took the fight to Twitter.

[Nod to Red's Army]

Last night's installment of "Shaq Vs.", the reality show that matches Celtics big man Shaquille O'Neal against sports stars or other celebrities in their field of expertise, featured a pair of wins by Shaq.

First he defeated competitive eating champ Joey Chestnut, of Nathan's Fourth of July hot-dog eating contest fame, in a hot dog chowdown. But, Shaq had teammates, while Chestnut went at it alone. Shaq's team ate 36 hot dogs, Chestnut downed 35.

Then he took on former NBA star Charles Barkley in golf, which is not exactly Sir Charles's area of expertise. But when you add in a pair of PGA Tour stars, it made it pretty interesting. Shaq rolled in a big putt on the first playoff hole for the victory.

Shaq was paired with Anthony Kim, while Barkley had Bubba Watson as a partner. Watson and Barkley had a two-shot lead at one point in the five-hole alternating-shot competition, but Kim and Shaq made up the gap on the final hole to force a playoff.

You can watch the full episode on abc.com.

We've also got a gallery of Shaq's showdowns on the program.

USA Basketball

Team USA has its 12-man roster set for the FIBA World Championship. Whether or not they made the cut or the cut was made for them is the question.

Rajon Rondo was left off the final roster, presumably being cut by head coach Mike Krzyzewski. He played poorly against Lithuania Saturday and was benched Sunday for USA's high-profile exhibition against Spain, his first "DNP-Coach's Decision" since his rookie year in the NBA.

In a release, however, USA Basketball director Jerry Colangelo gave the impression that Rondo decided to leave because of outside factors.

“Rajon came to us and said he was going to withdraw from the team, that he had some family matters to attend to and some things to take care of before the NBA season," Colangelo said. "He did an outstanding job during our training, we appreciate the effort and commitment he made to our program and he completely has our support."

Rondo missed a practice in New York earlier this month to attend a funeral for his uncle.

Speaking to reporters today at practice, Rondo sounded like he was bracing himself for the possibility of being cut. Rondo told ESPN.com's Chris Sheridan, "I think I'm on the bubble. Just looking at the obvious -- I got a DNP last game. That pretty much speaks for itself ... It's what's best for the country. It's part of it. We knew coming in it was still tryouts until we make the team that goes to Turkey."

Meanwhile, even though Krzyzewski initially said Rondo was benched in order to get a look at other players, today before the decision was announced the Team USA coach talked as if Rondo's cut was a foregone conclusion. Krzyzewski said roster decisions will be made based on team needs and chemistry, and added that Derrick Rose and Chauncey Billups have something going. Krzyzewski said Stephen Curry's 3-point shooting makes him dangerous. Rondo's shooting struggles are well known, he also stumbled against Lithuania, giving up ground in a loaded competition at the guard spot.

"It's not so much what Rajon has to show, it's what our team needs," Krzyzewski said. "We've found a good lineup, and the international game is so different from the NBA game, you can ask any of these guys. Part of it is to make sure that we try not to have two non-shooters out on the court, and there's the physicality, too.

"Derrick right now being with Chauncey is a good [combination], and Stephen, he provides a different thing, because if they are going under [screens] and they keep going under on him, then he has a 3. So it forces another team to change the way they defend our team. So it's things like that, and how we feel strategy-wise what'll be best for the team."

Team USA plays its final exhibition tomorrow against Greece and will then open the preliminary round in Turkey on Aug. 28 against Croatia.

Even though he knew the experience would help the 24-year-old point guard, Celtics president Danny Ainge breathed a sigh of relief.

“You’re always worried about the injury factor and the getting-worn-down factor. But I think that there is some good that can come from it as well, particularly with young players. But Rondo played late into the season and it was a long season. He carries a pretty big load for our team. So I can’t say that I'm disappointed that he’s coming home.”

“It’s a different style of play, different people around him. He certainly showed what he’s capable of doing on that team. The team is loaded with point guards. I know that initially Rajon was not really overwhelmed with the opportunity. It was not something that he was thrilled with doing. It was something that he did because he was kind of being told it was the right thing to do by those trying to get him to do it. But it wasn’t something that he was dying to do. So I’m not surprised. And I’m happy to see him finish the summer experience being healthy.”

Though they have yet to speak and he wasn't entirely sure of the reason for Rondo's withdrawal, Rondo's brother William said that the passing of his uncle may have weighed heavy on Rajon.

“That’s my mother’s brother and we’re a small family. I’m not sure how you put it in words. The only person that talked to him was my mom. He was really close to my uncle. All of us were. Maybe it got overwhelming and he decided he needed to take some time away from basketball. You never know.”

Doc Rivers said he was in touch with Rondo throughout the process and added that on the whole he was satisfied with the way Rondo's Team USA experience played out even if he didn't make the team.

Coming off the Finals, I think in a lot of ways this was a great experience for him. I’m just happy he went through the experience. I didn’t worry about any of the other stuff.

I thought with all the changes they made on the team -- having to go with more guards, they needed more shooting and all that stuff -- I thought all that [played a part]. And I think Rondo wanted to come home, too. I think all that was involved.

The only thing you can concern with when they go over there -- you’re always worried about injury whenever your player plays -- but you’re more concerned about fatigue.

In a lot of ways he gets the best of all of it. He gets to play, he got to compete, he got to compete against the other guards. He knows shooting was a premium on this team so he clearly knows that’s an area he has to keep working on to improve and he gets to come home and spend some time with the family.

I think it played out the way it played out and I think everybody’s pretty satisfied with it.

Celtics coach Doc Rivers has been all over the place the past few days, from the Golf Channel, where he worked on his swing, to ESPN 980 in Washington, DC, where he chatted it up with Georgetown legend John Thompson. The subject matter ranged from the obligatory Miami Heat conversation to Rajon Rondo being the smartest player Rivers ever coached to Rivers’s belief that it doesn’t make sense for the Lakers to count the titles George Mikan won in Minnesota, especially if they’re not going to display any of his memorabilia.

“They don’t have any of that,” Rivers said. “But they count all his rings ... You’ve won 12 championships, that’s about it. Minnesota won the other ones.”

Here’s a link to the ESPN 980 interview plus a partial transcript.

On the Miami Heat:
No. 1, I’ll say this, he (LeBron James) had every right to do that. The rules say you can be a free agent. The rules say you can go wherever you want to. Now, how he did it and all that, whatever. I don’t care about all that. If you were a businessman, and you owned a business, and you could buy two other businesses and try to create a monopoly, you would do it. That’s what LeBron just did.

Will it work? Eventually, it will work. Will it work right away? Since I coach the Boston Celtics, I hope not. I do think people are all focusing on the wrong thing: shots. Is there enough shots? Will they have enough shots? Will they be able to play together. Who’s going to take the last shot. And that could cause turmoil as you know. I think the key for them is will they defend. Because if they defend, they’re talented enough to score points. And to me, the key for them is will they buy into being a defensive unit.

All players tell you what you want to hear in August. We’re bringing Shaq in. “Shaq, will you come off the bench?” “Absolutely, coach.” “Is 10 or 15 minutes good for you?” “Oh, absolutely, coach.” That sounds great in August, but when you’re actually doing it, it’s tough. Especially, when you’ve been a guy with the ball in your hands.

The biggest issue for Miami -- and we’ll find out if it’s the biggest issue -- is Wade and LeBron are used to having the ball in their hands. I wouldn’t be surprised if Eric [Spoelstra] put LeBron at the point spot. Because I do think he’s one of the best passers of our generation. I think he’s as close to Magic [Johnson] as there’s been. But he’s had to score in Cleveland, and now he might not have to score as much. If he can buy into that big point guard, then we’ve got problems in the league.

On Shaq’s impact and if it will change the Celtics' style of play:
He won’t change our style because we want to run. We have a saying, "Let’s try to score in the first six seconds." If not, you try to execute the heck out of them. So we’re going to try to run and get easy baskets and then we’ll wait for Shaq to come down the floor.

My biggest concern, honestly, is defensively because every time Shaq comes on the floor, everyone’s going to run pick-and-rolls and no one’s been successful in figuring out how to use him, and I’m no smarter than anyone else. So that’s all we’ve been focusing on this summer, is trying to figure out what we’re going to do with pick-and-rolls when he comes into the game.

Reaction to possibly breaking the team up after the Finals:
I was trying to figure out what I was going to do, first. I thought, we were all connected to each other. Paul (Pierce), Ray (Allen), Kevin (Garnett), we all got together and I told them definitely for one more year, if everyone’s coming back, let’s go for it. I thought Danny and the ownership bought into that.

Michael [Jordan] said something yesterday. He never thought they should have ended that run. He thought they had a seventh one in them, but management wanted to go young. You think about it, what was that 14 years ago, they’re still trying to recover from that. Bottom line is, you have a chance to win, you go for it. And that’s what we’re trying to do.

On Rajon Rondo:
First of all, he’s a stubborn kid, and it was good for him. When you play with Kevin Garnett and Paul and Ray, you better be stubborn, because every play they’re open (in their minds). I had Dominique Wilkins, Moses Malone and Reggie Theus one year, and they were hot all game in their minds. So I laugh and tell Rondo, "The most important word in your vocabulary will be ‘no.’ Just say, ‘No.’" Because if you’ve got the ball, they will listen.

The other thing about Rondo, he’s the smartest player, honestly, that I’ve ever coached. His basketball IQ is off the chart. Now it gets him in trouble at times. But he has great feel. He has huge hands. He can rebound. I’m more impressed with him, because he’s doing this without a jump shot. You think about how dominant he’s been, it’s always been said you cannot win in the NBA with a nonshooting point guard, and we’re winning with a nonshooting point guard. And we’re winning because of his IQ.

The influx of young players and the value of veterans:
I have a bunch of veterans and when I say something and the young guys, who all think they know everything already, don’t want to listen, I’ve got Kevin Garnett in their ear saying, "No, this is what we do and this is how we do it." I think it’s very difficult with young guys, because young guys want to prove to you what they can do, they want to establish themselves and they don’t want to be role players. Where veterans have figured it out. "This is what I do. This is who I am. And I’m good with that." That’s why you have to have veterans around them.

I don’t like the influx, I think it’s too many young guys. And it’s not a basketball issue, it’s a maturity issue. I think young guys need to go to college to learn how to live on their own, to learn how to live with no money, no entourage and grow up and then come to the NBA to play basketball. I would change it to the baseball system. And I don’t like that. But I think that’s a better solution. Less guys would come out of high school and then they’d have to stay in college two or three years. It’s not going to happen, but I would love that to happen.

The Lakers:You’ve got to congratulate them, they won. They still have not beaten our starting five. Our starting five against the Lakers starting five has a ring. Tell them, don’t forget that. We’ll be back strong and Perk will be there next year if there’s a Game 7.

[Via CelticsTown]

Making the jump

If the Bulls proved anything over the past two seasons, it's that they don't lay down for anybody. Not the Celtics in 2008. Not King James last year. What they're trying to do this season is move up. They've been the feisty eighth seed two straight seasons, they've given the powerhouses scares, but their offseaon mission was to become one of the East's powerhouses themselves.

They added a big name in Carlos Boozer. They also missed out on a few big names. Still, they were able to assemble a roster that could threaten for one of the top four spots in the East. They also took a key piece from a rival, luring longtime Celtics assistant Tom Thibodeau away to become the head coach. They'll definitely be in the mix with Atlanta, Milwaukee, and Charlotte.

Key adds: Boozer, Ronnie Brewer, Kyle Korver

Key losses: Kirk Hinrich, Brad Miller

Celtics games: Nov. 5 at Boston, Dec. 3 at Boston, Jan. 8 at Chicago, Apr. 7 at Chicago

Strengths: As he comes off a summer with Team USA, this could be Derrick Rose’s best season as a pro. He’s spent the offseason working on his 3-point shot (26.7 percent last season), which should make him an even more potent scorer. Joakim Noah’s made a calling card out of the “energy player” cliche (10.7 points, 11.0 rebounds). And altogether, the Bulls blended depth and youth (second-year man Taj Gibson) with experience (15-year vet Kurt Thomas), hoping that after earning the eighth seed and being bounced in the first round the past two seasons they can jump to the top tier of the East.

Weaknesses: There’s a gaping hole where the Bulls expected LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, or even Joe Johnson to be. The team was custom-fitted for an MVP-caliber wing, and obviously they came up empty. They added shooting in Korver. They also brought in Brewer after losing out on Magic guard J.J. Redick. But one of the key ingredients in their offseason formula -- a bona fide, shake-the-soul-out-of-an-opponent scorer -- is missing.

Schedule: The calendar gods didn’t do the Bulls any favors with 23 back-to-backs (the Bucks and Hawks are the only team with as many), but a cushy last few weeks could lead to a strong finish going into the playoffs.

The Thibodeau Effect
For everything the Bulls added this offseason, you could argue the most important piece is probably Thibodeau -- and despite his ablity a lot of the argument would center around reasons completely unrelated to Thibodeau. The Bulls' coaching situation was combustible from the start last season. Vinny Del Negro was under fire all season, and blowing 35-point leads didn’t help his cause. It ultimately ended uglier than anyone could have imagined with Del Negro and team executive John Paxson getting into a shoving match not long before the Bulls’ late-season meeting against the Celtics.

Enter Thibodeau, the blue-chipper of this year’s coaching carousel. Bulls GM Gar Forman said the first person they called was Thibodeau, but with the Celtics in the NBA Finals he was a hard man to reach. His resume as a defensive guru spoke for itself and kept echoing as teams were looking for head coaches. The Bulls hope he can turn a solid defensive team into the menacing force that the Celtics became over the past three seasons.

Truehoop asks if Thibodeau can do in Chicago what he did in Boston:

The Boston Celtics' return to the NBA's upper echelon was predicated first and foremost on their defense. They unleashed a pressurized force field designed and implemented by Tom Thibodeau, and ultimately adopted by other teams around the league, including the Los Angeles Lakers.

This June, the Bulls tapped Thibodeau to fill their head coaching vacancy. He joins a Bulls team that put together a strong defensive season last season, finishing 10th in efficiency. Skeptics might look at Derrick Rose -- whose defensive instincts are a far cry from Rajon Rondo -- and Carlos Boozer and conclude that Thibodeau doesn't have the personnel to succeed the way he did in Boston. Yet in 2007, Thibodeau took a quintet that featured Ray Allen (who had a horrendous defensive reputation coming from Seattle), an undisciplined big man in Kendrick Perkins, a second-year point guard in Rajon Rondo who'd started only 25 games and made them one of the best defensive units in basketball.

With Joakim Noah anchoring the interior, the lanky tandem of Luol Deng and Ronnie Brewer on the wings, Boozer's sharp basketball IQ and Rose's gifts, Thibodeau should have the tools to sculpt a top-5 defense. If the Bulls buy in, we'll have a better understanding whether Thibodeau's kind of tactical expertise is transferable -- and an inkling of just how dangerous the Bulls could be.

Massive financial problems put Antoine Walker back on the comeback trail last year, when the former Celtics star took his talents to Puerto Rico, playing for the Guaynabo Mets for $7,000 a month.

Now there is word he is trying to get back into the NBA. At the Red Sox Alumni Day gathering over the weekend, Walker's uncle, former Sox infielder Chico Walker, spoke with WEEI. Chico Walker said Antoine has dropped 18 to 25 pounds and is working out with Rick Pitino, his coach at Kentucky and with the Celtics. Chico Walker said four to six teams were interested in his 34-year-old nephew, who last suited up in the NBA for Memphis in 2008.

But the first step is to earn an invite to someone's training camp.

Walker played seven-plus seasons for the Celtics, three times earning NBA All-Star berths while forming a strong 1-2 punch with Paul Pierce. He earned an NBA title ring playing with the Miami Heat in 2005-06.

But after being waived in December 2008 by the Grizzlies without having played a regular-season game, Walker's legal problems began. He was charged in January 2009 with drunk driving in Miami and was arrested in July of that year for writing bad checks worth $1 million at three Las Vegas casinos. The former Kentucky star, who earned more than $110 million in his NBA career, also was being pursued by a number of financial institutions for debts totaling more than $4 million.

Chico Walker told WEEI:

He’s definitely looking to go into training camp, but he knows it’s not going to be a guaranteed contract He’s going to have to go in and make a team, and he understands that. That’s where he is in terms of his conditioning. He knows he has to go in there and earn a spot. Nothing’s going to be given to him regardless of what he’s done in the past.

I think the main concern is that this other stuff is going to follow him around. Is that going to be a deterring factor for a lot of teams? Hopefully not because basketball-wise, I still think he has a little bit to give to the game. But he has to go in and he has to show that. Nothing’s going to be given to him at this point.

Rondo sits out against Spain

Rajon Rondo stumbled Saturday against Lithuania, turning the ball over four times in 14 minutes and being lifted in the second half in favor of Russell Westbrook. When Team USA coach Mike Krzyzewski decided to sit Rondo for all USA's 86-85 win in a pretty high-profile exhibition against Spain, there was some concern that maybe Rondo had lost ground in the competition at the guard spot. Krzyzewski explained, however, that he sat Rondo to get a better look at Stephen Curry, who missed time earlier in the week with a sprained left ankle.

From USA Basketball:

What have you learned between the game last night and today; and what did you think of some of your outside players like Rose, how they stepped up and were able to contribute?

We were trying to learn about our younger players so we started a different lineup ... Curry has been out so we wanted to give him a chance and we already know what Rondo and Granger can do ... That was our plan tonight, just to take a better look at our team. ... Those are two veterans and young guys haven’t had a chance to start or whatever, so before we select our 12 we needed to give everyone a look.

Team USA has one exhibition left Wednesday against Greece. The FIBA World Championship starts Saturday.

House calls Heat Team PED
If anyone in the league has the license to compare the 2010-11 Heat and the 2007-08 Celtics, it’s Eddie House, who will be the 3-point gunner for both teams. In his humble opinion, the Heat will be the Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez version of the team that brought Boston its 17th banner.

From the Arizona Republic

"I compare it to the year I went to Boston when the Big 3 got together in 2007," House said. "But this is going to be even bigger. This is going to be Boston on steroids."

"I'm extremely excited about this opportunity," House said. "In Boston, everybody was after us every single night. We were playing hard-fought games every night. This is going to be even crazier. We're anointed champs from the beginning, and we're not the champions."

He also explained how much it hurt when the Celtics dealt him to the Knicks at the trade deadline (Coincidentally, during the Finals, Charles Barkley said Nate Robinson was Eddie House on steroids). House told the Republic, "That stung a little bit. When you feel like you're a main part of what the team is doing and you're on a mission, to get the rug pulled out from under you and get sent to a team that has no shot . . . that kind of hurt."

Fernandez, McMillan: Awkward

Rudy Fernandez wants out of Portland so badly he was willing to be fined $25,000 to demand a trade. He didn't return any of the team's calls since the end of the season, and his agent said he'd sit out the final two year's of his contract if he had to. Of course, this made things sort of weird when Fernandez and Blazers coach Nate McMillan crossed paths Sunday for Team USA's meeting against Spain. But McMillan said the talk was a "good" one and Fernandez, via Twitter, called it "cordial."

Kendrick Perkins just finished another day of strenuous rehabilitation on his surgically repaired right knee and was exhausted. The Celtics center hasn't participated in basketball activities since tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in Game 6 of the NBA Finals against the Lakers.

He told the Globe Friday afternoon that his goal is to return in late January and said he is fine with the Celtics signing of Shaquille O'Neal to fill his vacant spot at center.

"I thought it was a great pickup for what we got him for," Perkins said by phone from Texas. "Shaq is a Hall of Famer. He can always help us. I think it was a great pickup. I am glad that he is on the team. We just got one goal, and that's just trying to win the ring."

Team president Danny Ainge said last week that Perkins would have to work to regain his starting spot in the lineup when he returned to full health. Perkins said he is not intimidated by that challenge.

"I don't see it threatening me at all," he said. "I gotta work hard. I know I gotta fight to get back to where I was. It's no problem with me. Hard work is not a problem."

It was initially thought that Perkins tore his medial collateral and posterior collateral ligaments but his ACL was intact. But it was just the opposite. Further examination in Boston revealed a torn ACL while the other two ligaments were secure.

"I've been doing a lot of rehabbing, make sure I get my work in every day," he said. "Make sure I keep my weight down, just taking it one day at a time. I'm walking without crutches, so that's a plus. The swelling is my leg went down so everything's coming around pretty quickly. Right now I can't work out like I want to, I can't hoop. But everything else is doing great."

The Celtics said he has been motivated by the speedy return of Patriots receiver Wes Welker, who made his first NFL appearance last night since tearing his ACL in early January.

"It's a mental thing for me," he said. "If you are a hard worker, you are going to get back faster. I am putting all my time into my rehab."

Perkins said he is working out in a leg brace and has yet to begin running. He did not have ACL surgery until July 6, three weeks after the injury.

"It's not an easy process but I am just taking it one day at a time and put all my focus into my rehab," he said. "Don't think about coming back, don't think about returning. Just keep it one day at a time."

Perkins said he thought the team had enough frontcourt depth last season with Rasheed Wallace and Glen Davis. The club added Jermaine O'Neal to replace the retired Wallace and the signing of Shaquille O'Neal gives Boston perhaps the deepest -- and oldest -- frontcourt in the NBA.

The Celtics are one of the favorites in the East with the return of Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and coach Doc Rivers, all of whom could have potentially bolted after the season.

"Those are great guys, Jermaine and Shaq, who should help pretty well," he said. "It's good to have everybody back. We're pretty much all like a family. We got very good chemistry going and guys got one goal in mind and that's to win the ring. I'm glad everybody is back."

Dream-weaving

The million dollar question: Exactly how good are the Magic? On the one hand, they’ve been the Eastern Conference Finals the past two years. They bounced LeBron from the playoffs two years ago, before being Kobe’d in the Finals. On the other hand, the Celtics manhandled them in the ECF this year, going up three games to none before closing it out. And you could argue (as someone did in the office yesterday) that they wouldn’t have reached the Finals in ‘09 if Kevin Garnett were healthy.

That said, they’re a contender no matter how you look at it. And now that Miami’s all star-studded, they’ve got a chip on their shoulder that should help fuel the inter-state rivalry even further. Whether they’re better than the team that won 59 games last season is another question. They showed how much they value JJ Redick by giving him a three-year, $19 million deal. But their biggest offseason addition (Chris Duhon) doesn’t really make up for their biggest loss (Matt Barnes). Jameer Nelson, one of the franchise’s cornerstones, had to deal with chatter about a possible deal for Chris Paul. Then, there’s the small matter of Dwight Howard’s offensive progression. The Magic could hold their ground as the team all others must go through to reach the Finals. But they could just as easily take a step back.

Key adds: Chris Duhon, Quentin Richardson

Key loss: Matt Barnes

Celtics games: Dec. 25 at Orlando, Jan. 17 at Boston, Feb. 6 at Boston

Strengths: They’re still one of the best defensive teams in the league, one of the best rebounding teams in the league and one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the league. Dwight Howard’s essentially a lock for defensive player of the year until another 7-foot, shot-swatting freak of nature comes along.

Weakness: Who’s the go-to guy? They brought Vince Carter in to be the binge-scoring play-maker they could go to in clutch. When he clanged two free throws that helped give the Celtics a 95-92 win in Game 2 of the ECF, they found out Carter’s apparently allergic to the clutch. Rashard Lewis also disappeared, and when they needed buckets outside of Nelson and Howard, they had nowhere to turn.

Howard and Hakeem: The word that Howard reached out to Hakeem Olajuwan to work on his offensive game generally brought about two responses. 1. How did this not happen sooner? 2. How did Kobe Bryant get there first? Howard’s had a number of mentors in his six years in the league from Clifford Ray to Patrick Ewing. How much he’ll gain from working with The Dream, remains to be seen. But God help the rest of the league if he develops that complete offensive game he’s been lacking.

From George Diaz of the Orlando Sentinel:

Hakeem Olajuwon called Dwight Howard a scaredy cat. His exact term was "afraid," but still, calling out a big man like that is usually "fightin' werds." Howard didn't flinch. He listened, took things to heart. Fabulous.

I don't know if Howard's mentoring hook-up with Hakeem will be much ado about nothing or a pivotal turning point in his career. It's certainly has made for some frisky blogosphere chatter about Hakeem's influence on Howard, the scope of Patrick Ewing's ability to make Howard a better player, and whether Howard himself is committed to the cause.

We'll find out shortly when the invites roll out for a new downtown arena, future home of the Orlando Magic and their championship dreams. Right now, there's good reason to be pumped up about the prospects.

You can watch Team USA's last two practice games over at FIBAtv.com. They play Spain on Sunday in Madrid for the first time since they met in Beijing in 2008. On Wednesday, they meet a battle-tested Greece team.

Rajon Rondo's in good position to be the starting point guard. The team still has to cut one of the five guards left. Stephen Curry sprained his left ankle a couple days ago, but after practicing today he said he'll be good enough to play this weekend.

The Golden State guard took part in the non-contact training Friday at the Magic Box center in Madrid. He says he's "80 percent" a day before the U.S. plays Lithuania in a world championship warmup match. The U.S. plays defending world champion Spain on Sunday. Curry is trying to make the Aug. 28-Sept. 12 tournament in Turkey, with one player still to be cut from the 13-man roster.

The FIBA World Championship starts Aug. 28 and all 80 games can be seen on FIBAtv.com

Earlier in the week at his camp at Basketball City, Paul told CSN's Greg Dickerson that this would be his last contract and that once his NBA days are done he wants to play and live overseas in either Italy or Greece.

After these three or four years that I'm going to play, then I think that's going to be it for the game of basketball. I put so much into this game. As far as retiring from the NBA, I think I will be done after this contract because, eventually, I want to go overseas and play and live for a couple of years. That's why this is a big contract for me, knowing I'm going to retire a Boston Celtic. I want to go to either Italy or Greece for a year. I think I want to be able to bring my family over to just kind of share a different experience overseas for a couple of years, before I settle into retirement.

Chris Forsberg broke down Pierce's contract situation, pointing out that the final year of that four-year, $61 million deal isn't fully guaranteed.

[Nods to Forsberg, Red's Army, and Celtics Blog]

This really happened.

The chaos stunned a crowd of about 5,000 at the Athens Olympic Arena, as players from the two teams exchanged punches and kicks. A few spectators entered the fray and were quickly shoved out of the arena. Greece was leading 74-73 when the match was abandoned.

Both teams qualified for the world championships in Turkey beginning Aug. 28.

The trouble began when Greek forward Antonis Fotsis had moved threateningly toward Serb guard Milos Teodosic after a hard foul, and Nenad Krstic appeared to grab Fotsis by the throat.

Krstic then threw a chair at Greek center Sofoklis Schortsanitis, who was pursuing him, and it hit Greek center Yannis Bouroussis in the head. Blood trickled from his wound.

The players exited toward the locker rooms and fought in the tunnel leading from the arena before eventually being separated. The fighting happened about six minutes after Serb coach Dusan Ivkovic was ejected with two technical fouls for arguing heatedly with a referee.

72 wins?

The dust's more or less settled on the free agency frenzy, and now's a decent time to look at how teams stack up. The East went from essentially a three-team race last year, to an absolutely insane landscape this coming season. We'll glance at each of the Celtics rivals in the coming days, and Miami seems as good of a starting point as any.

When he was welcoming Eddie House to the fold via Twitter, LeBron James called the Heat "Team John Dillinger." The reference lets you know that the Heat feel like they have a target on their back already. The '08 Celtics won 66 games, bull's-eye and all. How will the Heat handle it?

Key adds: Chris Bosh, Eddie House, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, LeBron James, Mike Miller

Key losses: Michael Beasley, Jermaine O’Neal, Quentin Richardson

Celtics games: Oct. 26 at Boston, Nov. 11 at Miami, Feb. 13 at Miami, April 10, at Boston

Strengths: A two-time reigning MVP, a Finals MVP, and a five-time all star all in their primes. Not to mention a supporting cast that was more solid than anyone expected the Heat to assemble with essentially only minimum salaries. A lot of points and a lot of star power.

Weaknesses: They were never able to find a true big man, which leaves them vulnerable to the Magic with Dwight Howard and the Celtics’ overstocked front-court. There’s also very little room for injury. Wade’s had his share. James told GQ that the mysterious elbow injury that bothered him during the Celtics series is still an issue. If one of them goes down, that’s a heavy load to try to pick up.

Schedule: From December through February, the Heat are practically living out of their luggage with 26 road games. Add the fact that they the league has them playing on the national stage as much possible (the maximum 29 nationally televised games), and the’ll be playing under tough circumstances.

Do they really have a shot at 72 wins? Teams have talked about chasing down the mark the ‘96 Bulls set. But in the end, no one’s come close. The 2006-07 Mavericks put up 67 wins (and lost to the Warriors in the first round), and that’s the closest any team’s come since. Rasheed Wallace went out on that limb last year, and the Celtics came up 22 wins short. For what it’s worth, Scottie Pippen’s willing to bet James, Bosh and Wade don’t come close.

From Israel Gutierrez of the Miami Herald:

Frankly, I think the Heat can win 73 if two things happen: First, LeBron and Wade have to want it to happen. If those two guys set the defensive tone, it'll make all but about 20 games a potential blowout.

The second thing that has to happen is this team has to rebound as a group, because the lack of size and/or athleticism in the middle, depending on who's in there, will have to be made up somehow. I'm not really concerned about that because LeBron, Mike Miller, Dwyane and Bosh are among the best rebounders at their respective positions.

The 33 straight wins will be trickier, probably. You have to assume if the team loses only nine games, the bulk of the losses have to come against the Bulls, Magic, Celtics, Lakers and Thunder, probably on the road. There is no 33-game stretch of schedule without one of those road games on the schedule.

I’m a huge fan of what Darnell Mayberry did with the analysis of the Oklahoma City Thunder schedule over at the Oklahoman, so I decided to do a lite version, looking at the Celtics' slate. Here are the quick specs: 19 back-to-backs, four four-game road trips, a six-game homestand.

If you’re interested, Truehoop talked to Matt Winick about how the schedule is made. Also, here’s a link to the entire schedule.

October/November
God bless Mr. Winick for starting the Celtics with a bunch of prizefights. Between the Heat, the Knicks, and the Bulls, the Celtics face all of the Eastern Conference’s most retooled teams in the first month. They’ll actually see the Heat twice in just about two weeks.
Back-to-backs: Four (Miami/at Cleveland, at Detroit/Milwaukee, at Oklahoma City/at Dallas, at Toronto/at Atlanta)
Tough stretch: Four straight roadies starting with the league’s new darlings, the Thunder. From there it’s Dallas, Miami, and Memphis, where the Celtics will reunite with Tony Allen (sans shadow).
Marquee matchup: Stating the obvious, but the season-opener Oct. 26 against Miami has so many story lines, including the fact that it will be LeBron James’s first trip to the TD Garden since he ripped off his jersey in his final game as a Cav..
Rookie watch: He won’t turn the Wizards around on his own, but John Wall will likely sell tickets and also re-energize a Washington team that was in turmoil for most of last season. He’ll make his first trip to Boston Nov. 17.
Welcome back: Tom Thibodeau will still be getting adjusted to his new gig as head coach when he brings the Bulls to the Garden for the first time Nov. 5, but with Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Luol Deng, Kyle Korver, and the biggest offseason addition, Carlos Boozer, he’ll be bringing a squad with him.

FULL ENTRY

Nike and Footlocker turn Rajon Rondo, Amare Stoudemire, DeSean Jackson, Justin Tuck and Sanya Richards into The Faculty.

Paul Pierce spoke to reporters at his annual camp at the Basketball City facility in Boston and said he pushed for the acquisition of Shaquille O'Neal and confirmed that the big man nicknamed him "The Truth."

Pierce (pictured right guarding one of his camp employees) isn't satisfied, however. He believes the Celtics need one more player, preferably someone to relieve him off the bench.

"I think we’re right there at top," he said. "I think we’re one of the top four or five teams in all of basketball. I still like we need another piece. I think we could use another wingman off the bench after losing Tony Allen. I think he was real valuable what he brought in the playoffs so for the most part of I love our team. I think we’re better now that we were in June. But also I still think we need another piece if we’re going to win it all and not just get there."

And he touched on the signing of O'Neal.

"It’s going to be fun to have the big fella in the locker room," Pierce said. "I think he fits in with what we’re trying to do, especially with (Kendrick Perkins) out. It’s going to be fun watching Rondo give him the ball, watching him receive passes from KG (Kevin Garnett). I think he’s going to be a lot better with us than he was in Cleveland."

Ainge said he spoke with the Big Three and Rajon Rondo about signing O'Neal and the vote was 4-0 in favor of bringing The Diesel in. Pierce confirms that.

"I pushed for it," he said. "You look around and you look at the free agents, Shaq was the best available. And Perk being out half of the season, you know how ACL injuries go sometimes, you could be out 5-6 months or be out a year sometimes, you never know. We needed another big guy. I talked to Danny even two or three weeks before we got Shaq. I talked to (majority owner) Wyc (Grousbeck), I talked to Pags (co-owner Steve Pagliuca) and I think we all thought that was a good move to try to pursue him just to add depth there."

Rasheed Wallace promised he would work with kids at Paul Pierce's annual camp at Basketball City in Boston and he did. While Wallace (pictured at right attempting a 3-pointer in front of campers) did not speak with reporters, he did indicate to Pierce that he was retired and wanted to travel with his family. Wallace looked to be in great shape, his customary wooly hair cut short and he was coered by the camp kids to launch 3-pointers so they could receive Pierce "The Truth" t-shirts.

After a few misses, Wallace drained a 25-footer, only to be nearly knocked down by a hundred screaming kids. Wallace loved the attention, smiling as much he had during the entire Celtics season.

"I told him go ahead man, do all you need to do, take the kids everywhere, we'll see you in February," Pierce joked about Wallace.

Just an endless stream of funny stuff this morning. Glen Davis is notoriously good at these types of functions, partly because he can relate to the kids.

The Plummer Home is a place where boys age 12 to 18 can take refuge and get the care and attention they need. From the age of 8 to about 10, Davis said lived in a group home not much different from the one he visited this morning.

"My past, I went through a lot of ups and downs," Davis said. "I had to do things that I didn’t want to do as a young kid. Being in a place like this, kind of really helped me, making sure that I used the opportunity of these people helping me and people giving their all for me. I just wanted to make them proud."

As soon as he hopped out of the SUV, he jumped into action, smiling big and shaking hands. He picked Diarra Pickett out of the crowd to give him a tour of the house. For Pickett, a 16-year-old Salem High student from Dorchester, hanging out with Davis was huge.

"Because of the area I come from and the things that I’ve been through, this means a lot to me," Pickett said. "I live in a nice house, nice view, talking to a real basketball player. I didn’t expect to see anything like this two years ago. I didn’t think it would happen. This right here, makes my day."

They played ping pong, Davis raided the refrigerator, manned the drums, called up people's girlfriends and of course played some basketball.

FULL ENTRY

Glen Davis was in Salem this morning at the Plummer Home for Boys. The Celtics and RE/MAX gave the group home a basketball court renovation this morning. Davis stopped by to break the new court in and play around with some of the kids. While he was there, he talked a little basketball, from Shaq to his contract situation to his own expectations for this season.

On Shaquille O'Neal:
He’s going to mesh well. He’s a veteran, he understands, and he wants to win. That’s what it’s all about. Any guy that wants to win, you can play on our team. Shaq, believe it or not, he’s still a force. He’s still somebody you have to pay attention to.

Believe it or not, Shaq and Kevin Garnett were my favorite players growing up, and the opportunity to play on a team with both of those guys is unbelievable. Good things keep happening to me. Shaq, KG, the addition of Rasheed [last season], I’m just looking forward to becoming a better player.

On Celtics president Danny Ainge having high expectations for him this year:
This is the year of finally hitting that line of maturity of finally becoming that player that I knew I could be. This is the year of just all-around. Throughout my career, my three years being here, it’s been up and down. When I play, you’ve seen glimpses, like, ‘Wow, this guy could start. Or come off the bench.’ Glimpses up and down. But this is the year of Glen becoming that whole player that 10 years down the road, eight years down the road will hopefully be an all-star.

On being in a contract year:
I don’t think about contract. When you think about contract, that’s when you really don’t focus on what you need to focus on. I’m just trying to focus on helping my team get back to the Finals and winning it.

On what the Celtics need to improve next year:
More of a sense of urgency throughout the year, but at the same time being healthy. Because being [injured] kind of hurt us. Also, having a sense of urgency hurt us because we didn’t have it as much as we should have. We’ve got some things to work on. We know we’re capable of getting there.

On playing in the shadow of Hall of Famers
I just try to look at the fact that Kevin Garnett is in front of me, and he’s going to be a Hall of Famer one day. Learning from him, because I’m young. I have a lot of years to play. But I’m going to get my opportunity. Things happen, people go down – we don’t want that – but at the same time my opportunity will come and when my opportunity comes, people will know that I can play the game at a high level. I’m not worried about who I’m playing behind, I’m just trying to learn as much as I can so when my opportunity comes to lead a team to the Finals, I’ll be ready.

NEW YORK -- Team USA chairman Jerry Colangelo (right) began his Sunday by releasing Oklahoma City forward Jeff Green and Washington Wizards center JaVale McGee from the team, trimming the roster to 13. He has one more cut to make before Aug. 26, when rosters have to be finalized.

After the USA's 86-55 exhibition victory over France at Madison Square Garden, it's apparent that three players are vying for two roster spots. Oklahoma City guard Russell Westbrook, Golden State sharpshooter Stephen Curry, and Los Angeles Clippers guard Eric Gordon are those three, and the decision will be difficult.

"There's so many outstanding athletes, they wanted to get down to a manageable number," Colangelo said following the USA victory. "Although we talked about 14 or 15, the decision came down to 13. We want to get those other (exhibitions) under our belt. We'll know a lot more after we play Spain and Lithuania."

Team USA heads to Spain on Monday for training and plays Lithuania and Spain on consecutive nights beginning Thursday. The Americans finished their exhibition with an Aug. 25 tune-up against Greece before the World Championships begin in Turkey on Aug. 28.

Neither Green nor McGee played during Team USA's scrimmage Saturday against China, a major hint of their Sunday fate.

When asked about the team's lack of size with McGee gone, USA coach Mike Krzyzewski said, "McGee wasn't playing before. So it's the same concern we had with McGee."

Tyson Chandler is the team's lone true center, although Lamar Odom and Kevin Love could spend time in the middle.

What has been apparent the past few weeks is that Team USA has positive chemistry. Unlike past USA Teams, which battled egos, fatigue and disinterest, this year's squad has grown closer.

"I love the character of this group really a bunch," Colangelo said. "It's a very young team. We're going to make mistakes. We're going to be inconsistent, but I think character and athleticism and some shots going down, we'll be OK."

Team USA is painfully young, with just two players over 30 -- Odom and Chauncey Billups and seven players 22 or younger, making 24-year-old Rajon Rondo look like a greybeard. There is concern that the pressure of international play in a hostile environment could rattle the youngsters.

"I would say inexperience (is a concern)," Colangelo said. "You never know how it's going to play out. But these are tough kids, tough minded. They want to win. They like each other. So there are a lot of offsets in the whole thing."

NEW YORK -- Rajon Rondo got the starting nod Sunday in Team USA's 86-55 victory over France at Madison Square Garden, and with the team likely carrying four point guards on its 12-man roster, Rondo will team with another point guard in the backcourt.

Against the French, it was Chauncey Billups, the All-Star point guard for the Denver Nuggets, who played shooting guard and scored 17 points in 15 minutes. Billups said he is comfortable playing the combo guard, giving Rondo an opportunity to play his natural position as a distributor.

Rondo finished with 6 points, 6 assists, 3 turnovers and 2 rebounds in just under 19 minutes and appears to getting more comfortable with the international game. As the game progressed, Rondo was able to take a tiring French team off the dribble for layups and dish offs.

Billups says the chemistry between he and Rondo is forming quickly.

"I can play off the ball without a problem and I have done it before," he said. "We're a small team and we're going to have to play two point guards on the floor pretty much, and hopefully we can be successful. But that's the advantage. We have two playmakers, two guys who can break the defense down, get in there and create some havoc."

Rondo said the experience of playing against Billups has been enjoyable.

"There's a lot of communication between us," Rondo said. "We almost talk about the game every day. He's handled a lot of adversity, overcome a lot of obstacles in his career, and he's been at the top each year as far as point guards. He's a great leader as well."

NEW YORK -- Rajon Rondo makes a major impact for the Celtics with dribble penetration and dishing off to open teammates streaking to the basket or at the 3-point line. And there has been a level of concern that Rondo won't have as much space to manuver with mammoth center Shaquille O'Neal cemented in the paint during offensive possessions.

Rondo said he will have no problems getting into the paint or making passes with the presence of O'Neal.

"Shaq's not a perimeter shooter and neither is (Kendrick Perkins)," he said Saturday from Madison Square Garden. "They're both great finishers around the rim, very efficient, shoot a high field-goal percentage. A lot of people are saying Shaq is going to clog up the paint but Perk didn't clog up the paint. They are two different players but at the end of the day we've got Paul (Pierce), Ray (Allen) and Kevin (Garnett) on the perimeter to spread the defense. There's only so much you can do as far as clogging up the paint."

NEW YORK -- The Celtics wasted little time this summer acquiring two centers on two-year contracts to replace the injured Kendrick Perkins, who may not return until February from a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

And then Tuesday, president Danny Ainge said Perkins would have to earn his starting spot back once he returned. The logjam at center gives coach Rivers various options, but Perkins may lose out on his starting spot because of injury, always a difficult situation in sports.

Celtics guard and Perkins' close friend Rajon Rondo, said Saturday from Madison Square Garden that the big man understand the team's recent moves and his recovery is going smoothly.

"He's handling it like a professional," Rondo said after Team USA's 98-51 scrimmage win over China. "He's trying to take care of his body. He's getting a lot of treatment on his knee. He's actually walking. He's in good spirits. He's a warrior. He wants to play and is ready to get back out there. He wants to play but obviously but we don't want to rush anything back."

The Celtics released their preseason schedule and strangely, the eight-game schedule is all Atlantic Division teams:

Wednesday, October 6 -- vs. Philadelphia (at Manchester, N.H.), 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, October 7 -- at New Jersey, 7 p.m.
Sunday, October 10 -- vs. Toronto, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, October 12 -- at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, October 13 -- at New York, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, October 15 -- at Toronto, 7 p.m.
Saturday, October 16 -- vs. New York (at Hartford), 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, October 20 -- vs. New Jersey, 7:30 p.m.

Scottie Pippen wasn't ready to hand anything to the Miami Heat, especially not the chance that they would eclipse the 1996 Bulls' 72-wins. He said that the Celtics were still the Eastern Conference's best team until the Heat prove otherwise. Miami and Boston meet in the season opener Oct. 26.

I think those guys’ biggest goal is to try and win a championship and not trying to win 72 games. But if Jeff Van Gundy wants to make a bet, I will bet him that they won’t break it. You can put a lot of great players together, but it’s about building chemistry. There’s been a lot of great teams put together, but that doesn’t really seal the deal. I think, me personally, Boston is still probably the best team in the East. Miami hasn’t proven themselves.

Accepting the Hall of Fame Blazer on behalf of her husband Dennis, Donna Johnson was too touched to speak this morning.

FULL ENTRY

After meeting with the NBA, Florida International University coach Isiah Thomas announced that he would decline an invitation to work as a consultant for the New York Knicks. There was controversy surrounding the Knicks decision to hire Thomas since the announcement last week and the league urged Thomas not to accept the position.

Here are statements from all parties:

Commissioner David Stern: "We have been informed by the Knicks that Isiah Thomas has rescinded his consulting agreement with the team. As a result, it is not necessary for the league to take any formal action on the proposed arrangement. However, we have reminded the Knicks of NBA rules that prohibit team personnel, including consultants, from having contact with players not eligible for the draft."

Isiah Thomas: "After speaking with Commissioner Stern and Knicks executives, it has become apparent that my new agreement violates certain NBA bylaws. Because of this, I have decided to rescind my contract with the team. I have nothing but the utmost respect for Jim Dolan, Donnie Walsh, Mike D’Antoni and the entire Knicks organization, and I want to thank them for affording me this opportunity.

“One of the biggest regrets of my life is that the Knicks didn’t perform up to the standards the fans had every right to expect while I was in charge. I take full responsibility for that. I was very much looking forward to this unique opportunity to help the organization do what I do best: find basketball talent. I wish the team nothing but success in the future."

And finally from Knicks chairman James Dolan: "Although I'm disappointed that Isiah will not be working with the Knicks as a consultant, I continue to believe in his basketball knowledge, including his ability to judge talent. He's a good friend of mine and of the organization and I will continue to solicit his views. He will always have strong ties to me and the team. We wish him continued success at FIU. I also believe Donnie Walsh has done a terrific job since joining the Knicks and my tremendous respect for him has only grown since he's joined the organization. I'm confident that the work that Donnie, Coach Mike D'Antoni and their staffs have done this summer has the team poised for long-term success."

Rajon Rondo left Team USA's training session in New York to tend to a death in the family. His uncle passed away and the Celtics guard went home to Kentucky. USA Basketball director Jerry Colangelo said Rondo will be back tonight.

A. Sherrod Blakely over at CSNNE is already down in New York:

A death in the family kept Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo from practicing with Team USA on Wednesday. While this is a time of mourning for the 6-foot-1 guard, it's clear that he's eager to return back to the court.

"Rondo had to leave because his uncle passed in Kentucky," said Jerry Colangelo, managing director of the USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team. "He'll be back tonight."

While the competition is tight, Colangelo said Rondo's absence won't have any bearing on his status with the team.

"We have to be flexible, and things happen," Colangelo said. "You kind of roll with things like that. He should have been where he is, when something like that (a death in the family) happens."

The scrutiny of LeBron James is unending. He's a a multi-million dollar lab rat for the sports media, celebrity media, and gossip sites. And around the same time his teammate Chris Bosh decides to let the world know James is using it all for fuel, James of course finds a way to fuel the criticism.

Because it's worked so well for other athletes and celebs, James took to Twitter to fire back at everyone who's spewed hate his way this summer. "And I mean everyone," he re-emphasized. So that includes all parties from Rajon Rondo to Michael Jordan.

Meanwhile, since his every move is now a headline, word's out that he's consulting Yishayahu Yosef Pinto, "Rabbi to the Stars." The Miami Herald reported that Pinto, a 37-year-old who only speaks Hebrew, went to New York with James for a business meeting.

Earlier earlier in the day James met with business executives onboard a private a yacht about merchandising deals, according TMZ.

The entertainment website said James attended the meeting with Rabbi Yishayahu Yosef Pinto, ``a man known around New York as the rabbi to the business stars.''

The site had an exclusive photo of James holding hands in what seemed to be a prayer with Pinto. Sources said James paid in the neighborhood of six-figures for Rabbi Pinto to attend the meeting with him.

The 37-year-old religious man, who speaks only Hebrew, is considered by some to be a ``spiritual guide'' who consults on business matters, the site said.

He wasn't kidding.

After a summer spent answering recurring questions about the contract of retired vet Rasheed Wallace, Celtics president Danny Ainge said the matter would be solved sooner rather than later.

The solution: The Celtics waived the 15-year veteran, reaching a mutual agreement on the two years and $13 million Wallace left on the table.

From the release:

The Boston Celtics announced today that they have waived forward/center Rasheed Wallace after coming to a mutual agreement following which Wallace plans to retire. “We would like to thank Rasheed for everything that he did for this team and organization last season,” said Danny Ainge, Celtics President of Basketball Operations. “We would like to wish Rasheed and his family the best as they move on into the next phase of their lives. He will always be a member of the Celtics family.”

Wallace, a 6-foot-11-inch center/forward, averaged 9.0 points and 4.1 rebounds in 22.5 minutes per game last season for the Celtics. He averaged 6.1 points, 3.0 rebounds and shot 34.5 percent from three-point land during the Celtics run to the 2010 NBA Finals. The 15-year pro was originally signed by the Celtics as a free agent on July 8, 2009.

Let's flashback a few years to 2007. Before Kevin Garnett landed in the Bean. Before the draft-day deal for Ray Allen. All the way back to that year's lottery night, when the Celtics had enough ping-pong balls to assume that they could land Greg Oden and possibly start turning the franchise around.

The person cheering the hardest for the ping-pong balls to bounce the wrong way? Kendrick Perkins. He knew bringing in a potential star center could have put him out of a job.

Perkins had his TV tuned to the draft, but let's just say he didn't have his fingers crossed.

"I might have been out of here," he said. "So I wasn't really pushing for anything. I'm sorry."

When Boston ended up with the fifth pick, almost everybody with any relation to a Celtics logo was devastated.

Except Perkins.

"I was prepared to expect whatever," he said. "But I'm glad it turned out the way it did."

So here we are three years later. Perkins has a ring. He and Garnett are the bad-cop, worse-cop of the Celtics' defense. But Perkins's ACL injury will keep him out until February and the Celtics not only brought in one replacement, they brought in two.

They added Jermaine O'Neal last month introduced Shaquille O'Neal today. Shaq joked that for at least the start of the season, "I can guarantee that at least one O'Neal will be on the floor."

But what happens when Perkins returns? The half-full glass says having two quality centers means Perkins doesn't have to rush back. The half-empty glass asks what if Perkins doesn't have a job to come back to? Celtics president Danny Ainge tried to be reassuring.

"It does take pressure off of Kendrick," Ainge said. "He has a very bright future and he knows we think very highly of him. We're not certain though, when he is 100 percent and this allows us to be patient with Kendrick.

"At the same time, I'm sure he's going to be worried and nervous since we are going to win games with this front line even when he's not playing. I'll be sitting with and talking with Kendrick throughout this whole process and hopefully he can get just focus on getting himself healthy and competing for his job back."

Perkins and Shaq have pretty recent history. Perkins had to take a couple stitches this past may during the Cleveland series. He also took a sharp elbow to the neck. O'Neal wasn't one to sugarcoat anything, but he said the battles were in the past.

“Perk is a very tough defender; probably one of the best big defenders in the
league," O'Neal said. "It was only on-the-court-battles-slash-marketing. He’s a guy that’s not going to back down, I’m not going to back down. So I think if anything it was good for TV.

"Now, being on the same team, I will give him all the knowledge I have accumulated over the past 18 years. Have we had battles? Of course we have. Have we had good battles and bad battles? Of course we have, but that’s all over now because we’re teammates.”

We have plenty of video of Shaq's introduction today in Waltham, from sound bites of his best comments to the full press conference.

This one by videographers David Ryan and Scott LaPierre, ties it all together, and is set to music. It's well worth the one minute, 25 seconds it takes to watch it.

Here are links to all our other videos:

Full news conference
Shaq on nicknames and why he chose No. 36
Shaq on his role with the Celtics
Shaq says he still has desire to win
Shaq on the tradition of the Celtics

Only yesterday did we learn that Rasheed Wallace has officially taken off his Air Forces for then final time, and already Celtics president Danny Ainge has revealed that he has plans for the two-year, $15-million contract the veteran big man left behind.

As far as what the plan is exactly, Ainge was coy today. But he said it would all be settled soon. The Celtics have been trying to shop the contract all offseason, and Ainge sounds like he's found someone willing to bite.

"It is probably going to be resolved sooner rather than later," Ainge said via teleconference. "I expect it to be done before training camp. We have looked at trade possibilities throughout the summer and will continue to look at those, but it will likely all be resolved shortly."

The Celtics are still looking to add one more ingredient: a shooter. It's a position they're always in the market for.

"I've been saying that since last year," said Celtics coach Doc Rivers.

Ainge said if the Celtics add a player it will likely be through the veteran minimum rather than with Wallace's contract. But with 15 players, Ainge said he was content with the roster as it stands.

"One more piece is possible," Ainge said. "I like the pieces we have at this stage and would be happy going into training camp with this team. It is possible though we could add another player, most likely for the veteran's minimum, possibly a trade, but the most likely scenario is for the veteran's minimum."

The Celtics will open the season against Miami Heat and then head to Cleveland to face the dressed down Cavaliers Oct. 27 to kick off the 2010-11 season.

Boston plays Miami again Nov. 11 and has a rematch with the Los Angeles Lakers Jan. 30. The Lakers return to TD Garden on Feb. 13.

Here is the complete schedule:

Tuesday, October 26 Miami HEAT 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, October 27 @ Cleveland Cavaliers 7:00 p.m.
Friday, October 29 New York Knicks 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, November 2 @ Detroit Pistons 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, November 3 Milwaukee Bucks 8:00 p.m.
Friday, November 5 Chicago Bulls 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 7 @ Oklahoma City Thunder 7:00 p.m.
Monday, November 8 @ Dallas Mavericks 8:30 p.m.
Thursday, November 11 @ Miami HEAT 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 13 @ Memphis Grizzlies 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday, November 17 Washington Wizards 7:30 p.m.
Friday, November 19 Oklahoma City Thunder 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 21 @ Toronto Raptors 1:00 p.m.
Monday, November 22 @ Atlanta Hawks 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, November 24 New Jersey Nets 7:30 p.m.
Friday, November 26 Toronto Raptors 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, November 30 @ Cleveland Cavaliers 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday, December 1 Portland Trail Blazers 7:30 p.m.
Friday, December 3 Chicago Bulls 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, December 5 @ New Jersey Nets 1:00 p.m.
Wednesday, December 8 Denver Nuggets 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, December 9 @ Philadelphia 76ers 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, December 11 @ Charlotte Bobcats 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, December 15 @ New York Knicks 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, December 16 Atlanta Hawks 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, December 19 Indiana Pacers 1:00 p.m.
Wednesday, December 22 Philadelphia 76ers 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, December 25 @ Orlando Magic 2:30 p.m.
Tuesday, December 28 @ Indiana Pacers 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, December 29 @ Detroit Pistons 7:30 p.m.
Friday, December 31 New Orleans Hornets 3:00 p.m.

Sunday, January 2 @ Toronto Raptors 6:00 p.m.
Monday, January 3 Minnesota Timberwolves 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, January 5 San Antonio Spurs 7:30 p.m.
Friday, January 7 Toronto Raptors 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, January 8 @ Chicago Bulls 8:00 p.m.
Monday, January 10 Houston Rockets 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, January 12 Sacramento Kings 7:30 p.m.
Friday, January 14 Charlotte Bobcats 7:30 p.m.
Monday, January 17 Orlando Magic 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday, January 19 Detroit Pistons 7:30 p.m.
Friday, January 21 Utah Jazz 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, January 22 @ Washington Wizards 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, January 25 Cleveland Cavaliers 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, January 27 @ Portland Trail Blazers 10:30 p.m.
Friday, January 28 @ Phoenix Suns 10:30 p.m.
Sunday, January 30 @ Los Angeles Lakers 3:30 p.m.

Tuesday, February 1 @ Sacramento Kings 10:00 p.m.
Friday, February 4 Dallas Mavericks 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, February 6 Orlando Magic 2:30 p.m.
Monday, February 7 @ Charlotte Bobcats 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, February 10 Los Angeles Lakers 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, February 13 Miami Heat 1:00 p.m.
Wednesday, February 16 New Jersey Nets 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, February 22 @ Golden State Warriors 10:30 p.m.
Thursday, February 24 @ Denver Nuggets 10:30 p.m.
Saturday, February 26 @ Los Angeles Clippers 10:30 p.m.
Monday, February 28 @ Utah Jazz 9:00 p.m.

Wednesday, March 2 Phoenix Suns 7:30 p.m.
Friday, March 4 Golden State Warriors 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 6 @ Milwaukee Bucks 9:00 p.m.
Wednesday, March 9 Los Angeles Clippers 7:30 p.m.
Friday, March 11 @ Philadelphia 76ers 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 13 Milwaukee Bucks 6:00 p.m.
Monday, March 14 @ New Jersey Nets 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, March 16 Indiana Pacers 7:30 p.m.
Friday, March 18 @ Houston Rockets 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 19 @ New Orleans Hornets 8:00 p.m.
Monday, March 21 @ New York Knicks 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, March 23 Memphis Grizzlies 7:30 p.m.
Friday, March 25 Charlotte Bobcats 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 27 @ Minnesota Timberwolves 7:00 p.m.
Monday, March 28 @ Indiana Pacers 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, March 31 @ San Antonio Spurs 8:00 p.m.

Friday, April 1 @ Atlanta Hawks 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, April 3 Detroit Pistons 6:00 p.m.
Tuesday, April 5 Philadelphia 76ers 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, April 7 @ Chicago Bulls 8:00 p.m.
Friday, April 8 Washington Wizards 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 10 @ Miami HEAT 3:30 p.m.
Monday, April 11 @ Washington Wizards 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, April 13 New York Knicks 8:00 p.m.

From WEEI

So there’s some good news and bad news for Luke Harangody. The bad news is that the shiner under his left eye from summer league is still hanging around more than month later. The good news is that he signed a deal with the Celtics today that will likely give him enough money to pay for it.

“Need a little plastic surgery,” Harangody joked. “Not going to help much, though.”

How much money he’ll have to work with is a mystery – terms of the deal weren’t disclosed – but with a two-year deal, the Notre Dame product is more secure than he was a month ago when his top priority was simply impressing at summer league.

“It’s a great feeling,” Harangody said. “It’s a little bit of job security, especially being guaranteed. I can kind of sleep easy at night. And for it to be officially signed is also a great feeling as well.”

The funniest moment of the day was the one the microphones missed, but the cameras caught. Harangody’s deal was announced in the middle of Shaquille O’Neal’s press conference. O’Neal, a walking hoops monument but apparently not a Big East enthusiast, had no idea who Harangody was.

Harangody was four when O’Neal was drafted (for the record, new Celtic Von Wafer had Shaq's first CD "Shaq Fu" when he was 8 years old).

“I was kind of in awe a little bit – starstruck. But at the same time I’ve got to come in the gym everyday. We’re teammates now. There’s future Hall of Fame players, but you’ve still got to come in and give same effort, no matter who’s on the floor.

Rivers like everyone with the exception of Harangody was struck by how well Harangody shoots the ball from long distance. But he’s still a rookie and a team bursting at the seams with veterans, Rivers said figuring out how he’ll fit is still up in the air.

“I don't know. Hell, he's a rookie, but he can play, I can tell you that," said Rivers. “He can shoot the ball and stretch the floor. He shot the ball extremely well in summer league from behind the NBA 3-point line, which I didn't know he could do, honestly, watching him in college. I didn't know he had the range.

“He's going to be player in this league. He's quirky offensively, and he had to figure out a way of scoring by not being dominant athletically. I love players like that, because that means they play with their heads. That's the type of player that makes it in this league, so that will be good for us.”

Shaquille O'Neal isn't known for understated sartorial choices, so it came as something of a surprise when he arrived at his introductory press conference at the Celtics' training facility in Waltham dressed conservatively in a pinstriped charcoal suit and a matching bow tie.

The message soon became apparent: The newest Celtic is intent on making a good first impression at his new job.

"I know a lot about the Celtics," said the 38-year-old, who signed a two-year contract last week. "I know they sacrifice and play well together. The way I look at it is I have 730 days left in this game. I want to play together and play to win."

Besides, the color of the day was green, not only when O'Neal held up his brand-new jersey adorned with the No. 36, but also when he quickly addressed whether one of the NBA's most decorated players, a 15-time All-Star, will be able to fit in as a role player on a roster filled with veteran stars.

He was quick to assure that he will not be green with envy in his new role, and his words as he held up his jersey for the requisite photo opportunity seemed to symbolize the moment. Asked if it fit, Shaq smiled and said, "Oh, yeah."

"This was a good team with or without me," said O'Neal. "I don't mind playing a role. I know where I am at this point in my career. It's about coming to a team that is one or two pieces from a championship."

O'Neal, who said he chose the number 36 -- never previously worn in Celtics history -- because he's always had a number in the 30s and he's with his sixth team -- reiterated that he understands the situation and what is expected of him.

Then, referencing the Celtics earlier signing of free-agent center Jermaine O'Neal this offseason, he said, "All I know is there will be an O'Neal on the floor."

O'Neal, one of the NBA's most charismatic and lighthearted stars, generated a buzz in Boston upon his signing, particularly when he tweeted that he needed a new nickname in his new basketball home and challenged fans to come up with one. Celtics coach Doc Rivers, who O'Neal said convinced him of the benefits of joining the Celtics during a recent meeting in Italy, said, "I'm not sure what I'm going to call him yet. The Big Leprechaun. The Green Monster. We're looking at him as another piece in the puzzle."

O'Neal said he was favoring a popular choice in various polls: The Big Shamrock. And he also suggested the Big Green Mountain, but said, "I haven't decided yet." But the nickname chatter came after he made the point once more of how much he appreciates playing for a franchise of the Celtics tradition and how he recognizes the importance of being unselfish, to the point that he said he'd have no problem coming off the bench.

"If [being a role player] is what it takes to win and get to this level, it's fine with me," he said. "Boston always been a city with great tradition, a city that's used to winning. I'm very honored to be here, franchise has a rich tradition of winning. It was not a tough decision."

* * *

Today's press conference had a light vibe, and generally these types of events are monumentally hilarious when O'Neal is involved. Check the video below from his intro presser with the Cavs. Or take the shortcut and read this excerpt from Scott Raab's story in Esquire this past June. He goes in pretty hard on Danny Ferry.

Shaq has a better joke: After being introduced by Cavs general manager Danny Ferry, his new boss, O'Neal says, "The great Danny Ferry — 'cause we all know Danny Ferry was a great player. A pretty good player. The other day, when I got the call from Danny Ferry, I was like, Danny Ferry, Danny Ferry. I had to check my computer to see who Danny Ferry was, and this is what came up on the Internet."

And he unrolls a photo of Danny Ferry toward the end of his own 13-year NBA career, when he played for the Spurs, 10 or so years ago.

In the photograph, Ferry is bent forward, grasping a ball on the hardwood, a pasty, balding clod. Behind him, both huge hands splayed across Ferry's back, his lower torso pressed to Ferry's ass, stands the alpha dog, Dun Dada.

Sitting beside Shaq, Danny Ferry — who spent 10 years playing for the Cavs and was a pretty good player only if "pretty good" means utterly overmatched but ever willing to goon it up — laughs it off. It's a safe bet that both Shaq and Danny recall the game in 1996 when Ferry and one of Shaq's Orlando teammates brawled.

"There's two kinds of dirty — dirty and sewer-dirty," Shaq told the media after that game. "Danny Ferry is sewer-dirty and has been ever since he was at Duke."

Chad Finn of the Globe staff contributed to this report.

Robert Parish did little to hide his admiration for Paul Pierce, who agreed to a four-year contract extension after this season and should retire a Celtic. When asked about Pierce and whether he deserves to have his jersey retired, Parish lavished "The Truth" with compliments.

"I think Paul Pierce, the way he manufactures points is the best player the Celtics have seen thus far," Parish told the Globe. "That's saying a lot because you are talking about John Havlicek, [who] was the best offensive player that the Celtics had, the way he manufactures points. But Paul Pierce has them all beat. He’s got the Sam Joneses, the (Don) Nelsons, the Tommy Heinsohns, Jones, Havlicek, (Larry) Bird, (Kevin) McHale, myself. Paul Pierce is the best offensive player the Celtics have seen thus far."

Pierce is third in scoring for the Celtics, trailing Havlicek and Bird and is 101 points short of 20,000. Pierce averages 22.5 points per game, compared to 24.3 for Bird and 20.8 for Havlicek.

Said Parish, "[Pierce's] number will be retired once he retires. And if they don’t retire it, then it’s a travesty to justice."

Review our gallery of the Celtics' all-time best scorers.

The summer basketball camp run by Celtics captain Paul Pierce is sold out, but you can still win a spot for your child by entering our contest. One spot for a boy or girl ages 8 to 17 will be awarded to one of Boston.com's sports Facebook fans.

To enter, check out our special contest page.

The contest ends Thursday at 5 p.m. The camp is Aug. 16-20 at Basketball City in Boston.

After weeks of speculation about his status for next season, Rasheed Wallace does plan to retire, according to his agent, Bill Strickland.

Newest Celtic Shaquille O'Neal told reporters in Orlando this weekend that Wallace was rethinking his decision to retire after he pleaded with the four-time All-Star to return for at least another season. Strickland told the Globe Monday that his client will not return to the Celtics.

Following Game 7 of the NBA Finals, Wallace waited outside of the officials’ locker room at Staples Center to talk to official Dan Crawford, telling him that he had planned to retire and just wanted to have a conversation. Wallace hasn't spoken publicly since the Finals but there has been mass speculation about whether he would stick to his retirement promise.

Wallace has two years and $13 million left on his contract and the Celtics could reach a settlement with the power forward or trade his contract to a club who could receive the salary cap relief after the 2012 season. Team president Danny Ainge has been trying to trade Wallace's contract this offseason but the uncertainty of the collective bargaining agreement after 2011 has clouded the impact of adding such a contract.

It seems Doc Rivers wasn't interested much in talking after the NBA Finals. Even if it was President Barack Obama calling.

Our colleagues at the Orlando Sentinel alerted us to a blog post by Sentinel sports writer George Diaz that details how Doc ignored calls from Obama because he didn't recognize the number.

The president was calling to congratulate the Celtics' coach on a fine season. Doc related the story Thursday after a golf outing in Florida. Doc ended up speaking with the president after Washington Nationals president Stan Kasten, who was a Hawks executive when Rivers played in Atlanta, called Rivers and then passed his phone to Obama when the two sat together at a Nationals game and Obama mentioned he had been trying to reach Doc.

Although he is an unrestricted free agent, Brian Scalabrine spent his Thursday representing the Celtics in their Feed the Children program, withstanding the heavy storm to give out food at two local community centers.

Scalabrine wants to play in the NBA next season, but offers to remain in the league aren't overflowing for the affable veteran, prompting Scalabrine to contemplate his immediate future.

"I don't know what my plans are," he said outside of Holland Community Center in Dorchester. "I'm just keeping it wide open. I've got good offers overseas, but my goal is to play in the States for one more year and see what comes from it."

Scalabrine, 32, played the entire second half of the season with an ailing right shoulder injured Jan. 7. He underwent surgery last month to clean out particles and remove bone spurs and remains in rehabilitation. Scalabrine struggled with his perimeter shot at times last season and it could have been attributed to the sore shoulder. He shot 32.7 percent from the 3-point line in 53 games.

"Before I could use my right arm (to play defense), it was hard, I had to do everything with my left hand," he said. "Everybody plays with injuries. I won't use it as an excuse."

Scalabrine said he has had some conversations with the Celtics, but the club has been busy retooling its bench and is running out of roster spots.

"The thing you have to realize is I don't sweat things out of my control," he said. "I am not doing this (community event) to get signed. I am not feeding children to be signed. I am feeding children because children need to be fed.

"Based on this year, I knew I would have to be patient. If I had to go to Europe and play I will go do Europe and play. My kids are going to go to great schools in Europe and they are going to learn the culture over there and take it as a learning experience and 10 years from now, I am going to call back and say, 'remember when we lived in Barcelona for three years?'"

But he wants to remain in Boston.

"Is (playing in Europe) what I want to do? No. I want to play for the Celtics," he said. "I want to keep grinding out. I want to win another championship. I really want to see what Shaq's like."

Well that was quick.

An e-mail with the headline "Get Your Shaq Jersey" just popped into my inbox. Less than 24 hours after Shaquille O'Neals two-year deal with the Celtics became official, fans are now able to purchase Shaq swag.

The adult replica road jerseys are pictured. You can also get a t-shirt. There are still Rasheed Wallace jerseys for sale on the website, but you can't purchase a Jermaine O'Neal jersey. And what's a guy gotta do to get some Big Baby gear?

There are varying viewpoints on the Shaq deal, but one thing is clear: This man will move merchandise.

The newest member of the Boston Celtics wants you to give him a new Boston nickname.

Shaquille O'Neal, under his THE_REAL_SHAQ Twitter account, tweeted the following tonight:

hello green town. ok what u got 4 nicknames? make um good

Some of the past Shaq nicknames include, the Diesel, M.D.E (Most Dominant Ever), and The Big Aristotle.

So what do you think Shaq's new nickname should be?

Submit your ideas in the comments section. We'll pick the best of the bunch and put up a survey and let you vote for your favorite of the possible Boston Shaq nicknames.