Stripped of his options by a full-court...

Stripped of his options by a full-court press of the judicial variety, Brian Shaw is returning to the Boston Celtics. The Celtics announced that Shaw has agreed to rejoin them after spending a season playing in Italy.

“Glad to be back,” said Shaw, the former UC Santa Barbara star, during a Boston news conference. His return thus ended a bitter legal battle that began after he signed a four-year contract with the Celtics last January. At the time, he was in the first year of a two-year deal with Il Messaggero of Rome. Shaw subsequently attempted to return to the Italian club for the upcoming season.

The resolution followed a federal court decision in June, ordering Shaw to end the Italian contract and play for Boston, a fine of $50,000 for defying the order and meetings between lawyers for both sides.

Shaw said it was his intention to play one more year with Il Messaggero, then return to Boston.

“I never ever said or ever felt that I didn’t want to be here,” Shaw said.

He felt he got in trouble because he was operating without an agent.

“I felt at the time that I knew what I was doing and I could do everything myself,” the 24-year-old player said. “The lesson that I’ve learned is I don’t know it all.”

Shaw was Boston’s first-round draft pick in 1988, who became a starter as a rookie and averaged 8.6 points and 5.8 assists.