Shaq's comments on Harangody signing:

In the middle of the news conference, the C's announced the official signing of Luke Harangody (a 2 yr, $1.3 mil guaranteed deal)... Shaq leans over to Doc and says "who's that?" In fact, reader Section328 has already transcribed it.

Shaq: [turning to Doc] Who is that?
Doc: Rookie from Notre Dame.
Shaq: Guard or big man?
Doc: Big man.
Shaq: Big man. Oh.

I didn't make this up but I can't verify without a doubt that it happened.
Poor info forwarding journalism on my part...

Shaq makes me laugh.

Hi,
do you have a link to the announcement of sign of LH?
Thanks,
AK

Sorry, no link yet.

'According to Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston, Luke Harangody signed his rookie contract with the Celtics on Tuesday.

Forsberg added that the C's roster is now full at 15, until Rasheed Wallace's situation is settled.

Harangody likely won't see major minutes for the C's this season, but he'll provide insurance in the frontcourt behind the likes of Kevin Garnett, Glen Davis, Shaquille O'Neal, Jermaine O'Neal and potentially Semih Erden to start the season.'

Both years guaranteed.

I don't get the significance of Shaq's reaction upon hearing about Harangody's signing. I'd have to read a lot into the word "Oh" for it to mean anything other than, "I get it. Thanks for letting me know."

With all the veterans on the roster (and hopefully at least one more to replace Sheed), Ii think this season's value of Bradley and Harangody will be similar to stocking a minor league baseball tesm. Nice to have some young guys in the pipeline to be developed for the future and to figure out their best positions. If either makes a contribution this season, other than at the D League level, it will be a most pleasant bonus. And there's always the case that he could be used as a filler in a trade or (if this season is anything like the past one, which I hope it's not) available to fill out the active roster in injury emergencies.

Sam

Sam,

If this was directed at me, I posted this because I thought it was comical that Shaq didn't know who Harangody was or what position he played.
I could understand this for a veteran football player with so many players and draft picks, but I would have thought that in the last week, Shaq would have gone on the computer to see who Boston drafted or asked someone about it.

TJ, when I direct a post at someone in particular, I address that person by name 100% of the time.

I don't imagine Shaq's as curious as many of us are, because he knows many of the peripheral players may have their situations changed prior training camp.

Sam

Being a basketball fan alone, I would have thought that Shaq would have at least heard of Luke Harangody, especially since he played multiple years for a large college. Add in the fact that he was one of the 2 players that Boston signed this summer, and it's hard to believe that Luke's name didn't ring a bell with The Shaqrock.

I doubt that Shaq followed Notre Dame much the past few years. He probably watched the Final Four and that was it.

worcester wrote:I doubt that Shaq followed Notre Dame much the past few years. He probably watched the Final Four and that was it.

W,

Where is the avatar pic?

Yesterday Elena wrote that her boyfriend would be gone for a week to Spain, invited me to visit her in Scotland, and said it would be great. I wrote back asking for clarity. Would I be staying with her? Would we still be lovers as always before? She responded that she's madly in love with this guy and has no romantic interests otherwise. So I congratulated her and declined the invitation.

Imagine if I'd gone to the trouble and expense of flying to see her and she,
"settling a pillow by her head,
Should say: ``That is not what I meant at all.
That is not it, at all.''

I may be getting older, but I'm no J. Alfred Prufrock, at least not yet. So in the interim I'd rather contemplate the beauty off Santorini than Elena whenever I post on Sam's site.

TJ,

A lot of fans have the opinion that nba players think a lot about the team in the off-season. It's seldom true. They're human beings, enjoying their vacations like the rest of us at least try to do; and many of them have off-season pursuits they follow, such as camps, golf, business opportunities, recording CDs (lol), appearances, etc. I believe Shaq quite likely has more off-season pursuits than most players to preoccupy him because he's into everything.

The sheer business of being a celebrity in demand undoubtedly occupies his mind much of the time. It's probably significant that his introduction by the Celtics had to be delayed—probably until he could make himself available.

I can pretty much guess what Celtic-related matter been most occupying Shaq's mind in the few days since he was signed. "Where the heck am I going to live?" There's no reason that someone with as many things as he has to preoccupy him would be the least bit concerned about the end of his new team's roster—a couple of guys who could well be D-League material this season. His knowledge of the veterans he's familiar with probably tells him all he needs to know about the makeup and character of this club.

On a somewhat related matter, I heard someone from either ESPN or Sports Illustrated on Boston talk radio this afternoon. (Shaq's press conference actually induced them to talk a bit about the Celtics for a change.)

This guy (can't recall his name) appears to have followed Shaq closely. He says his biggest concern for the Celtics is Shaq's ability to be divisive in the locker room ever since the Kobe days. He says it happened in Phoenix, it happened in Miami (he specifically named Damon Jones as being in Shaq's hip pocket, and it happened to some extent in Cleveland although Shaq wasn't there long.

He mentioned that it happens if and when Shaq becomes disenchanted about his role, playing time, etc. However, the guy did say he felt it would be less of a concern with the Celtics, given all the veterans they have. Not only would the veterans help keep Shaq straight, but they're also less susceptible than younger players to being receptive targets of Shaq's divisiveness. But he did mention Shrek and (especially) Donkey as being two impressionable targets if Shaq decides to go the divisive route.

He felt that Shaq's number one reason for coming back for short money was to get a crack at denying Kobe another championship, which may be even greater incentive than winning another one or two himself.

I can't guarantee that this guy knows what he's talking about, but it all carries a certain amount of logic. Regardless of whether one believes him, these thoughts give all of us something to be sensitive to this season.

And, by the way, the two talk show hosts chipped in with non-specific comments about how messed up the Celtics locker room was during much of last season. It's interesting to conjecture who might have been the culprits, but perhaps it's significant that Sheed and Tony will apparently be gone this season while Pierce got a new four-year contract. I would ordinarily have assumed that Pierce and Rondo might have butted heads a lot. (I believe it has been established that it happened at least occasionally.)

Sam

Bob, I was really sad to read that comment. In my eyes, it was as though Tony had rolled up a big ball of energy and good feelings and tossed it out the window. We should probably start a poll about the sources of discontent or disruption in the locker room last season, but I'm not really in the mood to do anything except move forward optimistically.

Sam

So far, what I like best about the Shaquille O'Neal press conference has little to do with Shaq. It's the fact that KG cut his Hawaii vacation short to support Shaq at the conference.

Sam

worcester wrote:Yesterday Elena wrote that her boyfriend would be gone for a week to Spain, invited me to visit her in Scotland, and said it would be great. I wrote back asking for clarity. Would I be staying with her? Would we still be lovers as always before? She responded that she's madly in love with this guy and has no romantic interests otherwise. So I congratulated her and declined the invitation.

Imagine if I'd gone to the trouble and expense of flying to see her and she,
"settling a pillow by her head,
Should say: ``That is not what I meant at all.
That is not it, at all.''

I may be getting older, but I'm no J. Alfred Prufrock, at least not yet. So in the interim I'd rather contemplate the beauty off Santorini than Elena whenever I post on Sam's site.

w-

so good that you asked for clarity. that would have been the ultimate tease- to fly across the ocean to be greeted by her telling you stories about her new boyfriend and telling you to sleep on the couch with a case of blueballitis. That would have absolutely sucked.

Well, onwards and upwards. I can only say one other thing:

"NEXT!"

I hope to get a picture of "NEXT" this weekend to put her up as my new avatar.

w-

I like the way you're thinking.

Looking forward to the pics.

tjmakz wrote:Being a basketball fan alone, I would have thought that Shaq would have at least heard of Luke Harangody, especially since he played multiple years for a large college. Add in the fact that he was one of the 2 players that Boston signed this summer, and it's hard to believe that Luke's name didn't ring a bell with The Shaqrock.

he could have just as easily been play acting.....I've done stupid stuff like this plenty of times

When Shaq suits up on opening night and Harangody is on the bench, Shaq will know who he is. Until then, no BFD.

Shaq was late coming to Boston in the grand scheme of things this summer anyway. He was just trying to get on a winning train heading out of the station.

Shaq's a huge historian of the league anyway, right? Probably not as obsessed as Kobe as far as players go, but right up there, I think. He'll get caught up on everything Celtic in a hurry.

cowens,

You very well could be correct that Shaq was joking around.