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Shaquille O'Neal heaps praise on Boston Celtics fans


On this morning's broadcast of "Open Court" on NBA TV, the question was raised, "Is there is another place (other than Madison Square Garden) in line as being the place to watch an NBA basketball game?" The Open Court crew were broaching New York's Madison Square Garden as the "Mecca of NBA basketball". One member of the cast spoke right up in favor of Boston and the Celtics fans. Shaq's comments follow:

Shaquille O'Neal:: "New York and Boston have very similar fans. They (Boston fans) have knowledge of the game and they're die-hard fans. They may give up during the season if the season isn't going well, but they always fall back on next year. 'Okay, you got us this year, but we'll be better next year. Got a couple of draft picks coming - gonna make a couple trades'."

O'Neal got a good taste of the City of Boston and the Celtics as an opponent and as as a member of the team during the 2010-11 season when he played here for a veteran-minimum deal. Because of injuries, it never worked out for him or the team, but he has generally been a pleasing presence wherever he goes.

Shaq didn't seem to get a lot of agreement from his cast-mates on his analysis, but the Boston Celtics fans have become accustomed to at least a little bias from other locales. It was enough that at least one former superstar acknowledged what we all know - Boston Celtics fans are the greatest. It is not about the building or the city itself - it is about the team and the people that love the game and the Celtics players and staff. And the team's future that - once again - appears quite bright.


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