Shaq says move to Boston is all about winning

Basketball Betting Lines

08/10/2010 - Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Shaquille O'Neal brought his effervescent smile to Boston on Tuesday and said he hopes to bring another title to the NBA's most-storied franchise.

Dressed in a suit with a bow tie, although not green like the Celtics' leprechaun mascot, O'Neal said in his introductory press conference that signing a two-year deal with Boston is all about winning.

"Very honored to be here," O'Neal said Tuesday. "The franchise has a rich tradition of winning. It wasn't a tough decision to make. I just wanted to be with a great team with a chance to win. I look forward to a great year."

The Celtics own the most NBA titles with 17 and came just short of another last year with a seven-game loss to the Lakers in the NBA Finals. O'Neal won three titles with Boston's arch-rivals from 2000-02 and added another with Miami in 2006, but failed in his most recent venture to "win a ring for The King" in Cleveland with LeBron James and the Cavaliers.

Now, he'll try to stop James and the Heat's new Big Three by joining Boston's Big Three of Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett.

"We match up well with anybody," O'Neal added. "We're just going to play, and hopefully at the end we'll be [in the hunt for a championship]."

O'Neal, 38, will provide frontcourt help for Boston, which had already added Jermaine O'Neal this offseason and will likely be without center Kendrick Perkins for the start of the 2010-11 campaign because of a knee injury he sustained in the playoffs.

"We have always been an in-to-out basketball team and we got away from that last year and we want to get back to that this year," noted Celtics head coach Doc Rivers. "There's a lot of areas where he helps our basketball team and size is one of them. We think we filled that void today."

O'Neal averaged 12.0 points and 6.7 rebounds in 53 games with the Cavaliers last year and will join his third team in three seasons. He played the 2008-09 campaign with Phoenix.

While he played 75 games for the Suns two years ago, the future Hall of Famer has been slowed by injuries for a majority of the past five seasons and his production has dropped.

"I think I will be a good fit here," O'Neal commented about his perceived role with the club. "I realize I'm much older now. In order to win, you have to sacrifice because at the end of the day it's all about winning."

O'Neal is a 15-time All-Star and was the NBA Finals MVP from 2000-02 when he led the Lakers to three consecutive titles. He was also the league's MVP in 2000.

Since being selected as the top overall pick in the 1992 draft by Orlando, O'Neal has averaged 24.1 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.3 blocks in 1,170 career games with the Magic, Lakers, Heat, Suns and Cavaliers.

He also has appeared in 214 career playoff games, averaging 24.5 points, 11.7 rebounds and 2.1 blocks. O'Neal ranks fifth all-time with 28,255 career points, and is 14th all-time in total rebounds 12,921.

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Sportsbook betting odds favor Europe in Ryder Cup

September 19, – Despite holding a decided edge in the all-time series, with 24 wins, 2 ties and 10 losses, Team USA is the underdog again heading into the Ryder Cup in Kidare, Ireland this weekend, according to MySportsbook.com.  The Europeans have captured four of the past five editions, including their largest victory ever, an 18 ½ to 9 ½ thumping in Michigan in 2004. Current Ryder Cup betting odds favor the Europeans to continue their winning ways; they are a 4-5 bet to take the title, compared to 6-5 for the Americans. 

Despite being knocked out in the first round of World Match play by Shaun Micheel, Tiger Woods is predicted to lead the US charge and be their highest point scorer for the week, with odds listed at 9-4 that he outpoints all other American players, including Jim Furyk, Phil Mickelson and Chris DiMarco to  name a  few.  Team USA has four relatively unknown players on the roster but all four are 2007 tournament winners and have posted some of season’s best performances, each earning over $1.5 million on the PGA TOUR.  They include Zach Johnson, Vaughan Taylor, JJ Henry and Brett Wetterich.

The experienced European squad includes the likes of Luke Donald, Sergio Garcia, Padraig Harrington, Jose Maria Olazabal and Darren Clarke, who’s emotions will be tested after the passing of his wife to a battle with cancer.  Donald and Garcia are in particularly good form and each is a 5-1 bet to lead the European squad in the points race. Donald has proven he can go head to head with Woods at a major event after a run for the $1.2 million purse at the PGA Championship. Garcia’s Ryder Cup credentials prove he’s ready for battle too.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your golf sportsbook needs.

Ryder Cup Odds

Europe
Tie
USA
4-5
10-1
6-5


Ryder Cup Top US point scorer
Tiger Woods
Jim Furyk
Phil Mickelson
Chris DiMarco
David Toms
Stewart Cink
Chad Campbell
Scott Verplank
Zach Johnson
Vaughan Taylor
JJ Henry
Brett Wetterich
9-4
4-1
5-1
7-1
8-1
12-1
15-1
15-1
25-1
30-1
30-1
50-1


Ryder Cup Top European scorer
Sergio Garcia
Luke Donald
Padraig Harrington
Colin Montgomerie
Darren Clarke
David Howell
Lee Westwood
Paul Casey
Henrik Stenson
Jose Maria Olazabal
Paul McGinley
Robert Karlsson
5-1
5-1
6-1
13-2
8-1
9-1
9-1
11-1
12-1
12-1
20-1
25-1

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com