Shaquille O’Neal Reveals How Pat Riley Forced Him Out of Heat After Altercation

Shaquille O'Neal won his fourth NBA championship with the Miami Heat playing mostly under Pat Riley until he was traded away.

Shaquille O’Neal Reveals How Pat Riley Forced Him Out of Heat After Altercation

Pat Riley traded Shaquille O'Neal away after altercation (Image via FirstSportz)

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In his quest to win more NBA championships than former teammate Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal joined the Miami Heat to be coached by the great Pat Riley.

In 3 and a half seasons, the Diesel fulfilled his promise of winning a championship when he and the young franchise star Dwyane Wade combined to lift the 2006 edition of the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

The following season, the Heat endured a disappointing run after O’Neal struggled with injury. When he returned, Wade’s injury compounded matters, and they became the 1st champions in 50 years to be swept in the 1st round.

The next season, the Big Aristotle again struggled with injury and poor form. At one point, Pat Riley believed his center was faking injuries to avoid playing.

Then, in February 2008, Shaquille O’Neal’s relationship with the Godfather came to a critical juncture, as he revealed on the Straight Game Podcast.

Jason Williams came half a second late, and he was like, ‘Hey man, you need to get out.’ And I told him, ‘Nah, he’s not getting out.’ Then he said, ‘Well, you get out,’ and I said, ‘(Expletive), put me out.’ So we got into a little scuffle, and the next day I was traded.

Shaquille O’Neal revealed

The 4-time champion was standing up for a tardy Jason Williams. Even if Pat Riley was just the head coach at the time, he would not tolerate that tardiness or a superstar who felt his coach was being unrealistic.

He had enough power at the Miami Heat to effect change. O’Neal was famously traded away to the Phoenix Suns, and that was the start of the end of his career. If his health had not been a problem, maybe the situation could have been different.

Shaquille O’Neal delivered on his promise of a championship

Shaquille O’Neal delivered 3 straight championships for the Los Angeles Lakers. He was the Finals MVP in each of them and was, without a doubt, the best player in the league.

Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade with the 2006 NBA title
Shaquille O’Neal and Dwyane Wade with the 2006 NBA title (Image via Bleacher Report/X)

But the purple and gold franchise leaned towards the younger Kobe Bryant. That was a shot at the ego of the big man, and he asked to be moved to another team.

When he first arrived amidst a lot of fanfare, he promised the massive crowd assembled that he would bring a championship to the city of Miami.

It was just an expansion franchise and had not become a serious threat yet. Along with Dwyane Wade, the duo went on to famously win the 2006 title despite being the underdogs to Dirk Nowitzki‘s Dallas Mavericks.

He would have liked to win one or two more, but health issues sped up his decline. By the time he was traded away to the Suns, the Diesel was not the all-dominating behemoth he once was.

Shaquille O’Neal gets a shoutout from Magic Johnson

Shaquille O’Neal’s health and sometimes questionable decisions might have cost him a few championships. Even then, he has built a legacy that will keep him entrenched as one of the greatest ever to touch a basketball.

We have 9 championships between us!

Magic Johnson wrote on X

This was Hall of Famer Magic Johnson, who wrote that caption to a video clip showing him and the Big Aristotle at an event. The two were smiling as photographers took pictures.

Other than multiple NBA titles, the two also have something else in common: their astute business sense. Both are successful in their ventures, and combined have a net worth of approximately $2 billion.

The two have been savvy at finding the next great opportunity and have become an inspiration for black athletes in the NBA and other sports.

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