Rivalry, taken a bit further!

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In basketball there are a few unwritten rules. They must not be broken, unless you want to humiliate yourself, or have your intentions questioned. These rules though not written, may be more important than the whole book itself. They are:

1. Never tweet during a game
2. Once a Laker never a Celtic.
3. Once a Celtic never a Laker.

Now the first rule was not written until this year after Brandon Jennings did so, and was fined 7,500 dollars by the National Basketball Association. Yet Shaquille O'neal has pulled a travesty, and completed all three. Considering the third is a co-existing reversal of the second. This is not new at all. Shaq agreed to the 2 year, 3 million dollar deal in what I believe was early August. Why did he do it?

There are a number of possibilities one could brainstorm when considering a professional athelete's career choices. Was it the money, usually the big seal. Perhaps it was the chance to win, and secure a ring. Or it was a competitiveness between the two of the best apples and oranges ever to play the game.

Let's break it down, and assess each scenario, bit by bit. I cant gurantee you that the negotiation wasn't about money. That's not just apparent because the big fellow will make league minimum ths year, but because Shaq has accumulated over 300 million dollars over his career, whether it's endorsements, shoe line, his own television show, or through hefty contracts. Botttom line Shaq become washed up in a tub of moolah. Shaq could have gone to Europe and made so much money, become a star, and sell merchandise to that large audience.

It wasn't in my opininon that he wanted to just win, because the guy already has 4 rings. The reason he wants win is to shove it in Kobe Bryant's face. The reason they are apples and oranges are because obviously Kobe is a guard, and Shaq is a centre. I don't usually obey that rule that but I don't feel like comparing the two, I believe I will later because it's common interest.

Gettign back to the point, by signing with the Boston Celtics, Kobe's largest rival team, Shaq gets a shot at a title, and with the Western Conference favorite being the Lakers, he will get a free shot at Kobe. What's more frustrating to Shaq was Kobe, after the 2010 finals stating publicly Shaq can take his 5th title to the bank.

All in all, if you compare the facts, Shaq can at minimum give the Celtics money to spend elsewhere, the Celtics will give Shaq a reason to play like he hasn't in years, and personally take revenge on his once ally, now turned arch-rival. At first I was skeptical and believed that the move was asinine, as per rule 2. But really this is probably the best thing that could have happened to Shaq in the dwindling years of what was a stunning career.