Published February 24, 2011

So, how’s Shaq’s bum leg doing?

Boston Celtics' Nate Robinson, left, with injured teammate Kendrick Perkins in November 2010 (Winslow Townson/AP)

That’s the question on everyone’s mind following reports the Celtics have shipped out center Kendrick Perkins and backup sparkplug Nate Robinson. Center Shaquille O’Neal will have to get back on the court — his latest ailment is an inflamed Achilles tendon — if the Celtics are to contend for banner No. 18.

As of early evening Thursday, Yahoo Sports and the Boston Globe report Perk and Robinson are headed to Oklahoma City in exchange for forward Jeff Green and center Nenad Krstic. The Globe reports that the Celtics will also receive the LA Clippers’ 2012 first-round pick.

Though not one of Boston’s four All-Stars, starter Perkins has established himself as an important cog, defensively and on the boards. Last year, before battling injuries this season, Perk averaged almost two blocks and almost eight rebounds per game. Perk has been especially important against other elite big men, such as Orlando’s Dwight Howard and LA’s Andrew Bynum.

Since being drafted out of high school, Perkins has spent all eight seasons in green.

As Donkey to Celtics forward Glen Davis’ Shrek, Robinson is known as a beloved teammate who can score in bunches. He has been used to spell point guard Rajon Rondo.

So far this year, Green averaged 15.2 points and nearly six rebounds per game. Krstic is averaging just over seven points and four rebounds per game.

The Celtics are also reportedly parting with rookies Luke Harangody and Semih Erden, for a Cleveland Cavaliers second-round pick, and Marquis Daniels, for cash from the Sacramento Kings.

Published February 24, 2011

http://cdn.wbur.org/media/special/2011/hubbub_0224_masstronaut-discovery-shuttle-launch

At 4:53 p.m., the official launch time of space shuttle Discovery, Cohasset native Steve Bowen became the first astronaut ever to fly consecutive NASA missions in space.

Bowen last flew on Atlantis in May 2010. He wasn’t even supposed to be on board Thursday, but Mission Specialist Tim Kopra got injured in a bike accident six weeks ago.

Bowen graduated from Cohasset High School in 1982. “He was an outstanding student,” said Assistant Principal Michael Gill, who was a health teacher there at the time, in a WBUR interview. “I don’t know if anyone really knows exactly what they’re going to do when they’re in high school, but he had an idea he wanted science and math.”

Gill said the would-be astronaut was a goalie on Cohasset High’s hockey team and a good athlete, too. Bowen went on to earn a degree in ocean engineering from MIT in 1993.

Today’s was the 39th and final launch of Discovery, which has racked up 142,917,535 miles on the odometer. The shuttle will dock with the International Space Station to deliver spare parts.

In 1984 and 2005, Discovery was first to “return to flight,” in NASA parlance, after the Challenger and Columbia accidents, respectively.