Shaquille O'Neal misses Celtics practice, avoids punishment from coach
Doc Rivers, the Boston Celtics coach, would be thanking the heavens that his team didn’t have a match scheduled on Monday noon as only 11 players would have shown up for that.
Shaquille O’ Neal is in the news again, but this time for all the wrong reasons as he missed a 90 minute practice session on Monday due to what the coach described a big mix up about the reporting time.
"He got the times mixed up", said Rivers. "He missed one, so he owes us one. We're good".
Rivers though visibly not impressed kept a soft tone when asked about the probable punishment.
"No, I was going to spank him, but it might not hurt", Rivers joked. "It may hurt me".
After a 110-101 win over the Toronto Raptors on Friday night, Rivers gave his team a two day layoff on the weekend. Players were meant to report back for a practice session at noon followed by a 3 p.m. flight to Cleveland for their match on Tuesday night
but the practice session only took place with 11 players as the Big Shaq was a no show. Fortunately, he knew the time for the flight to Cleveland and he joined the team in time.
The fact that the Celtics are already plagued with injury woes, O’Neal’s absence became more highlighted. The injured trio of Kendrick Perkins, Jermaine O’Neal and Delonte West are already on the side lines and Rajon Rondo had joined the team against the
Raptors in the last match after an injury lay off. Rondo though did take part in the whole practice session.
Shaquille, the veteran superstar, however, does not have any history of such misdemeanors and Doc Rivers even though admitting that his absence was frustrating gave him the benefit of doubt.
"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".
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