Published August 4, 2010

The man is larger than life. 7-foot-1. 325 pounds. Shoe size 23.

Over his 18-year NBA career, Shaquille O’Neal has bagged four NBA titles, a league MVP award, three NBA Finals MVP awards, 15 All-Star game selections and the Rookie of the Year award. Among active players, O’Neal leads the league in points, rebounds and blocks.

He has landed gigantic endorsement deals, a platinum rap album, shoes — all on top of an incredible $290 million earned in salary alone.

The Boston Celtics don’t just get a player. They get a brand. Here is a timeline of Shaq’s career highlights, both on and off the court:

Thanks to Toys “R” Us for the leprechaun hat, and big thanks to Jeremy Bernfeld and Jeff Carpenter for their help with this infographiq.

Published August 4, 2010

O'Neal in July (AP)

The Celtics make it officially official: free agent Shaquille O’Neal is coming to Boston.

Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“It is not every day that you can add a player of Shaquille’s caliber to your team,” said Danny Ainge, Celtics President of Basketball Operations. “His past experience speaks for itself and we believe that he is a great fit for our roster.”

He is now dubbed “The Big Shamrock.” Over his 16-year career, O’Neal has amassed a stunning $290 million in salary alone.

Published August 4, 2010

Avoid, avoid, avoid I-93 north.

Pity WBUR’s Fred Thys, who just called in from I-93 in Medford, home of Massachusetts’ largest pot hole (map). Repair work is wreaking havoc on the afternoon commute. It took Fred two-and-a-half hours to get there from Storrow Drive – a trip that Google Maps estimates at 15 minutes.

“It’s hard to imagine how it could go any more slowly,” he said.

The Globe reports:

Expect a horrendous commute heading north from Boston today. … Three of the four lanes of the crucial artery are closed now. Officials are hoping only two lanes will be closed by this afternoon’s rush hour and only a single lane will be closed by tomorrow morning.

Just take the T. If you need help getting home, head over to WBUR’s traffic center.

Published August 4, 2010

A bill to regulate wind farm siting might not be dead yet. (Storm Crypt/Flickr)

It’s hard to blog about anything other than Shaq, but…

The Beacon Hill blitz continues, with Gov. Deval Patrick signing and slashing bills left and right. This afternoon, Patrick will sign the electoral college bill that riled up so many Hubbub readers.

And a bill that might have garnered a lot more attention — if it weren’t for the gambling stalemate — might not be dead yet. A measure to regulate wind-farm projects in Massachusetts won both House and Senate approval but did not reach the governor’s desk, due to a last-minute procedural problem. (There is a lot of mistaken reporting about this bill. If you want to learn more about the confusion, see the comment thread in my “dead legislation” post.)

In a conversation Monday with WBUR, State House reporter Jim O’Sullivan said the wind-farm bill is likely to be taken up again in an informal session this week.

Published August 4, 2010

This guy! (AP)

WCVB broke the news this morning on Facebook:

SHAQ ATTACK! Mike Lynch has learned that Shaquille O’Neal has agreed to play with the Celtics.

…which prompted my Gchat conversation with WBUR intern and sports nut Jeremy Bernfeld (@jeremybernfeld). I’m just pasting it here.

Andrew Phelps: dude, Shaq?

Jeremy Bernfeld: good GOD man.

Jeremy Bernfeld: how many washed-up O’Neals do we need on the Celtics?

Jeremy Bernfeld: (burn)

Andrew Phelps: ok revealing the limits of my sports knowledge: who is the other o’neal

Jeremy Bernfeld: It’s an inner struggle, like in a Greek tragedy, and it makes me confused. Tell me it’s not my fault, Andrew, it’s not my fault!

Jeremy Bernfeld: haha i figured that was coming

Jeremy Bernfeld: Jermaine O’Neal

Andrew Phelps: do you think the average reader knows who that is

Jeremy Bernfeld: signed this offseason after playing w/ the Heat last year

Jeremy Bernfeld: meh, probably not.

Jeremy Bernfeld: if they follow NBA they know him, for sure

Jeremy Bernfeld: was a superstar and involved in the brawl at the Palace a few years ago (players fighting fans in the stands)

Jeremy Bernfeld: so ppl know him

Jeremy Bernfeld: but i also bet most people will say: “woah, the C’s signed Jermaine O’Neal? Wait, Jermaine O’Neal is still alive?”

Andrew Phelps: hahaha

Andrew Phelps: I’m just posting this whole conversation

Shaq calls himself “The Big Aristotle.” I call him the star of “Kazaam,” a rappin’ genie with an attitude!

Update: I find it amusing that Shaq’s “location” on Twitter (@THE_REAL_SHAQ) is CLEVELAND/EVERYWHERE, seeing as he’s played for every team in America.