<a href="http://www.pinstripemag.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/shaquille-o-neal.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-14066" title="shaquille-o-neal" src="http://www.pinstripemag.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/shaquille-o-neal-610x412.jpg" alt="shaquille-o-neal" width="610" height="412" /></a>

Since the last few seasons of his career, <strong>Shaquille O’Neal</strong> has been putting in some fairly good games, but has been complaining about a lot of injuries as of late, but then again this isn’t something that other aging <a title="How to Watch March Madness Basketball at Work" href="http://www.pinstripemag.com/2011/03/how-to-watch-march-madness-basketball-at-work.html" target="_self">basketball</a> players don’t complain about. It is most definitely an odd sight to see a person like Shaq finally walk off the court.

Here’s what he said on an <a title="Interview with Veteran Hollywood Stunt Coordinator Jack Gill" href="http://www.pinstripemag.com/2011/05/interview-with-veteran-hollywood-stunt-coordinator-jack-gill.html" target="_self">interview</a> with <strong>Jackie Macmullan</strong> of ESPN.com.
“I really, really thought about coming back,” he said, “but this Achilles is very damaged and if I had it done the recovery would be so long we’d have same outcome as this last year -- everyone sitting around and waiting for me.”

“I didn't want to let people down two years in a row. I didn’t want to hold Boston hostage again.”

“I'm letting everybody know now so Danny (Ainge) and the organization can try to get younger talent. I would love to come back, but they say once the Achilles is damaged it’s never the same. I don’t want to take that chance.”

Shaq was never much of an actor but he definitely was a player on the court. As is the case when any great player retires, it’s now time to look back on his accomplishments and take stock of his career. Shaq did much on the court that will ensure his enshrinement as a first-ballot Hall of Famer in Springfield. One MVP award in 2000, 15 All-Star appearances, eight All-NBA First Team selections, and a reputation as the most dominant player in the league for at least half a decade. it's hard to imagine his retirement as his saying goodbye to the NBA, let alone public life. We won't ever see him on an NBA court again, but all Shaquille O’Neal fans know that he will always remain a benchmark in Basketball.