“What the f**k you gonna do man?” Shaquille O’Neal reveals how picking fight Dwyane Wade triggered motivation in NBA Finals

Shaquille O’Neal and Dwyane Wade won the 2006 NBA Finals.

“What the f**k you gonna do man?” Shaquille O’Neal reveals how picking fight Dwyane Wade triggered motivation in NBA Finals

Shaquille O’Neal and Dwyane Wade

Shaquille O’Neal, in the twilight of his career, had a heart-to-heart with Dwyane Wade during the 2006 NBA Finals. The Miami Heat were down 0-2 to the Dallas Mavericks, and O’Neal struggled on the court and dealt with personal issues off it.

Shaquille O’Neal, who had been dominated by the Mavericks’ defense, told Dwyane Wade to take the reins and lead the team. He admitted to Wade that he was being double-teamed and was going through a tough divorce, and encouraged Wade to then go to work.

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Hey man, I'm getting (f***) double-teamed. I'm going through a (expletive) divorce. I'm not playing good. What the (f***) you gonna do? Don't be looking for me. (F***) go to work.
Shaquille O’Neal said on the Draymond Green show

Wade responded with an incredible performance, leading the Heat to four straight victories and their first NBA championship in franchise history. He averaged 34.7 points, 7.8 assists, and 3.8 rebounds per game, earning himself the Finals MVP award.

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O’Neal credits Wade’s performance with helping him secure his fourth NBA championship, where he admitted that he was playing poorly and needed Wade to step up. He praised Wade’s ability to unleash something and lead the team to victory, making it a memorable moment in NBA history.

Shaq’s guidance helped Wade unleash his full potential 

Dwyane Wade credits Shaquille O’Neal with teaching him how to market himself and become a superstar off the court. When Shaq joined the Miami Heat in 2004, he saw potential in Wade but also noticed his hesitation to showcase his personality.

Shaq came in and kind of walked me through how to be myself and to be a superstar. I didn’t know that people would care about what I did outside of the basketball court. But what I did on the floor had to be so loud that people had to start looking, so I had to take care of that first.
Dwyane Wade said in his podcast “The Why with Dwyane Wade.”

Shaq took Wade under his wing and advised him to be his authentic self and embrace his stardom. With Shaq’s guidance, Wade began to come out of his shell, thus shedding his shy and quiet demeanor.

As Wade’s confidence grew, so did his success on and off the court. Shaq’s presence led to the Heat’s first championship, and Wade developed into a confident and outspoken personality, thanks in large part to Shaq’s mentorship.

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