When four-time NBA champion Shaquille O’Neal was contemplating retirement in 2011, his peers, like Hall of Famer Tim Hardaway , encouraged him to do so. Leading up to his Achilles injury, the “Diesel” was not only looking like a shell of himself, but Hardaway thought he was just ruining the legacy he had built for 17 years.
" I'm glad that he retired. I think it was time," Tim Hardaway said as reported by ESPN. "He was hurting his legacy. You don't want to see anybody hurt their legacy when they're going out. I think a lot of people are happy he didn't go through that pain of waiting too long. And I think it was tough for everybody to watch Shaq when he was playing hurt like that at the end of this season ."
O’Neal’s last few years
The 15-time All-Star remained a dominant force through his 18th season in the league, which was O’Neal’s final year with the Phoenix Suns . In that campaign, he posted 17.8 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. After being traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2010, Shaq's performance declined. He played only 53 games as injuries began to take their toll, making it difficult for him to finish the season.
So it makes sense why Hardaway said that O’Neal was ruining his legacy by prolonging his career. As someone who played 15 seasons in the league and witnessed what it’s like to no longer be able to contribute at a high level, the retired shooting guard knew that the one-time MVP didn’t want to wave the white flag yet, even if injuries were creeping up on him.
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O’Neal thought he could do something special in Boston
Despite suiting up for only 53 contests with the Cavaliers and averaging a mere 12.0 points and 6.7 rebounds, Shaq thought he could give it one more try at the age of 38, which is why he signed with a contender, the Boston Celtics—the same Celtics spearheaded by Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce. The Big Diesel thought that he and the C's' big three would’ve won a championship if he hadn’t torn his Achilles that season.
"We were supposed to win this year, but 'supposed' doesn't count," the Hall of Fame center once said . "The path was there for us. All the so-called superpowers were gone -- L.A. (Lakers), San Antonio. I really feel if I was on the court we would have done it, but I don't believe in 'ifs.'"
Unfortunately for him, O’Neal’s last year with the Celtics turned out to be disappointing as he felt he let the city that accepted him with open arms down . Shaq believed the Celtics could capture their second championship in three years if he played a supporting role alongside the Big Three, but his body ultimately failed him.
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