By Jaime Woo

Let’s officially declare this the weekend of the O’Neals.
Last night, rumours swirled around Raptors centre Jermaine O’Neal being traded for Miami Heat players Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks. If it’s true, it will be the second time Marion and Banks will have been swapped for an O’Neal: in early 2008, the pair wound up with the Heat after being exchanged by Phoenix Suns for Shaquille O’Neal.
Fittingly, then, today the Raptors hosted the Suns—and lost 117 to 113. And although our egos may be bruised from the loss, at least we have the deep, deep affection of Phoenix’s O’Neal to comfort us. At about 4:30 p.m. today, Shaquille O’Neal sent out an update to his 32,477 Twitter followers that he is “n love with da city of toronto.” (Why? At least in part: snowballs. And, yes, it is actually O’Neal, who has always been an innovator with new technology.)
Hopefully, in a year, possible Raptors Marion and Banks can be traded for Phoenix’s O’Neal, completing this giant circle Shaq.