Will Shaquille O'Neal Finish His Career in Turkey?

Will Shaquille O'Neal finish his career playing alongside Allen Iverson in Turkey? That's what Seref Yalcin, the general manager of Besiktas Cola Turka, the team that signed Iverson in October, reportedly told Turkish media outlet Ajansspor.com.

Yalcin claims he met with O'Neal on a recent trip to the United States, and that the future Hall of Famer told him, "I want to be a champion this year with Boston. But I'm coming to Turkey next year."

"Some people will still come out and said (say) 'Shaq won't come to Turkey'," Yalcin added. "But the chances are very high." Yalcin's comments to Ajansppor.com were translated by hoopsnotes.com.

Technically speaking, there's nothing stopping O'Neal from following in Iverson's footsteps. He signed a two-year contract with the Boston Celtics, but the second year is a player's option. And while European teams generally can't afford to match more lucrative NBA contracts, O'Neal actually signed for the veteran's minimum and is slated to earn just $1.399 million next season.

Another factor that could come into play is whether there even will be an NBA season next year. The NBA's Collective Bargaining Agreement with the Players Association expires this summer, and by all accounts negotiations for a knew CBA have gone slowly. There's a distinct possibility that the start of the 2011-12 season could be delayed by a owners' lockout -- or worse yet, the season may be lost entirely.

If that happens, we may see a flood of NBA free agents -- especially those near the bottom of the NBA's salary ladder -- make the jump across the Atlantic. But while the money may be enticing, the rest of the experience would likely be a huge culture shock.

In addition to playing in intimate venues a fraction of the size of the smallest NBA arena, players in Europe are routinely subjected to hostile crowds that make LeBron James' return to Cleveland look tame.

Josh Childress, who spent two years in Greece before returning to the NBA this summer, recently explained to FanHouse how angry fans would often shower the court with items thrown from the stands. "Pieces of marble to ceramic, M-80s, lighters, cameras, cell phones, coins, bottles of urine, feces. Everything."

"There was a rule," Childress added. "They told all the players never to pick anything up. Never. (Fans would) would wrap something in paper. Never pick up anything because I guess in the past some some guy got his finger blown off.''

For some players, the money makes it worth the trouble. But for a future Hall of Famer like Shaquille O'Neal, who's earned more than than $290 million, not including hundreds of millions more in endorsements, over 19 NBA seasons? It seems like a stretch.