Shaq’s run with the Los Angeles Lakers was one for the ages. But even after his time on the left coast, he was still a big-time contributor. After the Lakers, O’Neal went to Miami, where he helped the Heat win the NBA Championship at the end of the 2005-2006 season.
Shaq wasn’t with the Heat all that long. Neither was another big contributor to that Championship-winning team, Gary Payton (another NBA Hall-of-Famer). In a new interview, O’Neal talks about his time with the Heat, and why it may have been so short-lived.
In an interview with Ahmad Rashad on his “NBA Rewind” program and podcast, Shaq says there was some behind-the-scenes strife involving himself, Payton and legendary head coach (at the time) Pat Riley.
Shaq says the problems may have been the reason he was traded away from the Heat after his short stint at South Beach. “They got rid of me and Gary in Miami because Gary and I were the only ones that didn’t listen to Pat,” O’Neal said. “So Pat would call the play, and Gary would be like, ‘I’m not running that. I’m throwing the ball to Shaq.”
Even Payton seems to be on board with the story. He’s talked, on previous interviews, how towards the end of his career, he was too old to run the fast-action plays drawn up by coach Riley.
Payton: “It was too much, man. I ain’t got time to be, I’m 38 years old man, I ain’t got time to be running no plays, man. I got to run what I think that’s going to be okay, man. Give the big fella, man. If he wants to kick it to us we just gotta be ready to shoot.”
After the Championship season, Shaq lasted three more with the Heat, and then he was dealt to the Phoenix Suns for Marcus Banks and Shawn Marion. At the time of the trade, the Miami Heat were a league-worst 9-37. That poor showing may have led to some heated words between the big man and Riley, and the team’s moving Shaq back out west.
Shaq wasn’t really happy in Miami, either. He’d come to win – and continue winning – NBA Championships, and that window seemed to be closed. After a total of four seasons with the Heat, Shaq was dealing with injuries, and was definitely in the latter half of his playing career.
Still, there was that winning season ending with the 2006 title. Both Shaq and Payton had come to Miami to win another ring, and both succeeded, by helping Miami win its first title in franchise history.
