- Shaquille O’Neal spent just three-and-a-half seasons with the Miami Heat
- O’Neal still had an incredible impact in that short period of time
- We at Fadeaway World ranked him as the fourth-greatest player in Heat history and O’Neal agreed
Shaquille O’Neal spent less than four seasons with the Miami Heat but is unquestionably one of their greatest players ever. We at Fadeaway World ranked him as the fourth-greatest in Heat history, and O’Neal agreed, as he shared the graphic on Instagram.
“Thanks, I’ll take it, appreciate it.”
It sure wasn’t an easy task to rank the 10 greatest Heat players of all time. The Heat are a relatively newer franchise, having only been formed in 1988, but they’ve had some great players suit up for them
O’Neal had also agreed with us ranking him as the 4th greatest Laker of all time, and we really appreciate the fact that the 51-year-old shares our content. It speaks to his greatness, to be ranked in the top five for two different franchises and he’d certainly be in the top five for the Orlando Magic as well.
Shaquille O’Neal’s Stint With The Heat
O’Neal wanted out from the Los Angeles Lakers in 2004 and they shipped him to the Heat in a blockbuster trade. In Miami, O’Neal played alongside an ascending Dwyane Wade, and the two formed one of the best duos in the NBA.
In his first season, O’Neal finished runner-up for MVP to Steve Nash, and the Heat made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals. They narrowly lost in seven games to the Detroit Pistons there, but wouldn’t have to wait too long to get some revenge.
The two teams clashed in the Conference Finals again in 2006 and this time, the Heat triumphed in six games. They then took on the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals and after falling down 2-0, roared back to win the championship in six games.
It was the first time the Heat had won it all, and while Wade was the biggest reason for it, O’Neal certainly played his part. The following year, though, Miami lost in the first round to the Chicago Bulls, and mid-way through the 2007-08 season, Shaq’s Heat tenure came to an end as he was traded to the Phoenix Suns.
His time there did not end on a good note, but it doesn’t make his great moments with them any less special. In his three-and-a-half seasons with Miami, O’Neal ended up with averages of 19.6 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.4 steals, and 1.9 blocks per game.
Shaquille O’Neal’s Mindset When He Joined The Heat
Shaq, of course, joined the Heat following a bitter end to his time with the Lakers. His relationship with Kobe Bryant and the organization had really deteriorated, and he only had one goal in mind when he came to Miami. During an appearance on the Club Shay Shay podcast, Wade revealed O’Neal’s mindset when he joined the Heat.
He just desperately wanted to win another ring before Kobe did and to his credit, did accomplish it. Unfortunately for O’Neal, Bryant got the last laugh, winning back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010.
The big man was quite upset after that, with O’Neal admitting he destroyed his house when Kobe won his 5th championship. Fortunately, the two all-time greats did at least patch up their relationship before Bryant’s untimely passing in 2020.
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