Shaquille O’Neal took a pay cut with Heat to win more NBA titles than Kobe Bryant

Former NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal has caught the attention of the NBA community after his recent statements regarding the late Kobe Bryant. O’Neal and Bryant shared an iconic bond during their playing years for the Los Angeles Lakers. However, internal disputes between them in 2004 led to O’Neal leaving for the Miami Heat.

In a recent segment of The OGs Show, O’Neal revealed the truth about how former Heat head coach Pat Riley assembled a championship-winning roster. Interestingly, he shared that Riley gave Shaq a few options to keep him satisfied about playing for Miami. Either the ‘Big Diesel’ receives a $120 million contract, or he accepts less money so that the team can get the necessary pieces to win a championship.

Pat (Riley) came in and he said 'Shaq, I love you. I can give you the whole ($120 million) and we can have nobody or I can give you ($100 million). Get UD(Udonis Haslem]) some more money, I can bring in (James) Posey'...And I was like, 'You know what, I need to win. … I gotta win one before [Kobe Bryant] get one.' So yeah, f**k it. I got enough money.

Shaquille O’Neal said

O’Neal lived up to the Heat’s expectations. O’Neal assisted a young Dwyane Wade in winning his first NBA title in 2006, the big man’s fourth overall. While Wade was chosen MVP of the 2006 NBA Finals, there’s no disputing that Shaq played an important role in their championship run. Hence, it is safe to say that the Heat’s gamble on acquiring O’Neal paid-off back then.

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Kobe Bryant once made a ‘huge assessment’ regarding Shaquille O’Neal

Kobe Bryant famously made a bold assertion about his teammate Shaquille O’Neal, suggesting that if O’Neal had the same work ethic as Bryant, he would have won 12 NBA rings. Furthermore, Bryant asserted that despite his words, O’Neal remained the MDE.

He'd be the greatest, and I would've had 12 f****ing rings.

Kobe Bryant told in an interview with Valuentainment

Shaq too had responded to the jab, saying that Kobe would have won ‘twelve’ if he had passed the ball more often, ‘especially in the finals against the Pistons.’ He also retorted that one does not get statues without working hard, which Shaq has.

Bryant and O’Neal were like fire and ice on the court, as they complimented each other’s game. However, in many respects, their on- and off-court antics reflected the Bryant-O’Neal dynamic during their eight-year collaboration in Los Angeles.

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Their relationship endured long enough for the Lakers to win three consecutive titles from 1999 and 2002. Eventually, the two split up in 2004, with O’Neal leaving the Lakers for the Heat.