Shaquille O'Neal Sends Blunt Message On Breaking Up The Celtics
Although the Boston Celtics were upset as a massive favorite in the first round of this year's playoffs by the Philadelphia 76ers, NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal doesn't think Boston should blow things up.
Speaking on "The Rich Eisen Show," O'Neal said that Boston shouldn't trade either of "The Jays" -- Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown. Instead, O'Neal believes it's up to the players and Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla to make better in-game adjustments so the team can rebound next season and make a longer playoff run.
I don't think they should break up the Jays."
"I don't think they should break up the Jays," O'Neal said. "They just have to learn how to have better in-game adjustments. The Celtics, they're going to die by the jump shot and live by the jump shot. When it's falling, it looks pretty, but you have to have that mentality, 'Hey, I just missed two threes. Let me go take a half a shot.' And that's why they lost. Jaylen Brown was playing excellent, Tatum came back.
"Listen, it still can work. You could still have two alpha males on the same team doing the same thing cause listen, they're both going to touch the ball. It just comes down to who's going to take the last shot. The game always dictates that. I don't think there's animosity between them that they're trying to make animosity between them, by that single phrase 'Whose team is it?'"
Boston Celtics Have Big Decisions to Make This Summer
Although O'Neal wouldn't trade Brown, the Celtics are reportedly considering moving him, perhaps even in a trade for Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is on the trade block.
The 29-year-old Brown still has three years and approximately $185 million left on his contract. He is coming off a second-team All-NBA selection, so he likely is at the height of his trade value. Although the Celtics won the NBA Championship with him winning the NBA Finals MVP award two seasons ago, the team may consider moving him this summer to better balance their cap sheet and hand the keys to the offense solely to Tatum.
Related: Celtics have a Jaylen Brown problem
But as far as O'Neal goes, the two superstars can coexist on the Celtics, and the team shouldn't trade either of them. In fact, O'Neal brought up the example of the Los Angeles Lakers, where he had to share the rock with another superstar in the late, great Kobe Bryant.
"Our formula back in our day was, give me the ball early, probably going to be missing a lot of free throws. Kobe, you take over in the fourth quarter, and we just ride it like that. And it worked for us, we were able to win three (NBA titles) in a row, but we did a great job of having in-game adjustments," O'Neal said.
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Joe Mazzulla Has to Be Better
Earlier this week, the Celtics' head coach, Mazzulla, was named the NBA Coach of the Year for the 2025-26 season, beating out J.B. Bickerstaff of the Detroit Pistons and Mitch Johnson of the San Antonio Spurs for the honor.
This award is voted on before the playoffs begin, so only regular-season results count towards it. But it was likely somewhat awkward for Mazzulla to win the award after the Celtics were bounced out of the playoffs in the first round this season by the 76ers.
Mazzulla has already won an NBA Championship as a head coach, so he's proven he knows what it takes to win in this league. But he needs to be better than what he showed in the postseason this year, and he needs to learn how to make quicker in-game adjustments, as O'Neal alluded to.
The Celtics are in good hands with Brad Stevens leading the way in the front office, Mazzulla leading the way on the bench, and "The Jays" leading the way on the court. But after a disappointing end to their season this year, Celtics fans should expect some sort of changes this summer. Just what those changes are, however, is a mystery at this point.
Related: Bill Simmons Blames Joe Mazzulla After Celtics' Playoff Exit
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This story was originally published May 27, 2026 at 11:03 AM.