Shaquille O'Neal apologizes to “Big Three” for skipping Monday’s training session
A day after missing a practice session, Shaquille O’ Neal apologized to Boston’s ‘Big Three’ trio of Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett for his absence.
Speaking for the first time after the incident took place the veteran superstar described the embarrassing lapse as a big mix up.
He pointed out that he misinterpreted the message on the grease board in the Celtic’s locker room after Friday’s match against the Toronto Raptors. Consequently, he was unable to comprehend that there was a practice session before the 3 p.m. flight to Cleveland.
He, however, reached in time at the airport to save his blushes.
"It was a miscommunication," he said. "The only thing I saw on the board was flight at 3. That's all. I never miss practice."
He made it quite clear though that he was only apologizing to the tremendous three of Boston as he went on to say.
"I apologized to the Big Three but not anyone else," O'Neal said. "I just apologized to the generals whom I'm consulting. It's not a big thing. It's not like I'm one of those players who said [forget] it, I'm not coming to practice today. But it won't
happen again."
On Monday, Doc Rivers the Celtics coach had already let the Big Shaq off the hook as he gave him the benefit of the doubt citing that the superstar did not have any prior session skipping history.
Even after supervising an eleven man training session with Kendrick Perkins, Jermaine O’Neal and Delonte West on the side lines due to injuries he said,
"Yeah [it's frustrating], but you get over it," Rivers said. "Listen, if the guy had a history of something, then you'd deal with it differently. But when the guy doesn't have a history of something -- it happens. It's life, you move on.”
"It's not a big deal."
The whole situation unfolded when Doc River granted his team a weekend layoff after Friday’s match but O’Neal mixed up the joining instructions.
"He got the times mixed up," Rivers said Monday. "He missed one, so he owes us one. We're good."
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